Baton Rouge Reporter

Recently, social media has been abuzz with claims that all the planets would be visible in a line in the night sky at the end of January. However, this is not entirely accurate. While a complete planetary alignment will not occur, there will still be an opportunity to witness a notable planetary lineup during the winter months.

The planets appear in a line due to their orbits around the sun on a flat plane known as the ecliptic. This trajectory allows them to reflect sunlight and become visible from Earth, appearing along this path in the sky.

In January and February 2025, observers can spot four bright planets and two faint ones. Shortly after dark, Venus and Saturn will be visible in the southwest, Jupiter high overhead, and Mars in the east. Uranus and Neptune are also present but require a telescope for viewing. The alignment of these planets along a line is not unusual; however, seeing four or five bright planets simultaneously is less common and does not happen every year.

Throughout January after dark, Venus and Saturn remain in the southwest for a few hours, while Jupiter shines overhead and Mars rises in the east. Although Uranus and Neptune are technically present, they do not qualify as "bright planets." These opportunities to view multiple planets at once are worth noting despite their infrequency.