Look up, SA! A rare planetary parade is coming tonight

Updated Feb. 28, 2025, 6:31 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast / Skyye Ndlovu

Look up, SA! Tonight is the one night where you’ll get to see all seven planets aligned in the sky!

South Africa! You’re in for a rare celestial treat! On Friday, 28 February, the Great Planet Parade will light up the sky as all seven planets in our solar system align for a brief but breathtaking moment.

This is a once-in-a-decade event, so if you’ve ever wanted to see all 7 planets together in one night, this is your chance!

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The Great Planet Parade is when multiple planets align in the night sky, creating a stunning cosmic display.

On this special evening, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus will all line up. Some of them will be easy to spot, while others will require a telescope.

How and when can I see this?

If you’re a space nerd and want to witness this amazing phenomenon, the best time is just after sunset - tonight - 28 February 2025

The best location to view this incredible event is a spot with minimal light pollution and a clear view of the horizon. So - nowhere near a city centre.

According to NASA, five of the planets - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn - will be visible without a telescope.

However, Neptune and Uranus are much harder to see. Neptune will definitely need a telescope, while Uranus might be visible under very dark skies with sharp eyesight.

So, if you wear prescription glasses…Eish.

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You might be wondering why this is such a special event. Well, this kind of planetary alignment doesn’t happen often! The last major alignment was during the solar eclipse on 8 April 2024, but not all planets were visible at that time.

After tonight, the next time five planets will align after sunset is in February 2034 - so you don’t want to miss this one!

So, mark your calendars, grab your binoculars (or telescope), and get ready to witness a spectacular planetary lineup.

This is one night where looking up will be worth it!