Experts debunk 'once-in-a-lifetime planetary alignment' hype

Social media has been buzzing over a "once in 396 billion years" planetary alignment scheduled for Jan 25, but experts say the hype is not true.

While the event is indeed spectacular, it is not a one-time occurrence.

This month, four planets—Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn—are visible to the naked eye, with a brief period next month when five planets will be visible.

Contrary to popular belief, this is not an uncommon or rare event, but rather a common occurrence in the night sky, albeit an amazing sight for stargazers.

The phrase "planet parade" is frequently used by enthusiasts to describe the alignment of multiple planets in the sky.

Articles that promote this event, however, frequently overstate its importance by mentioning far-off planets that are invisible without a telescope, such as Uranus and Neptune.

The bright sightings of Jupiter, Venus, and Mars in 2025 have led to the term "planet parade" being coined, with Saturn and Mercury also making sporadic appearances.

The solar system’s layout is not chaotic, and planets are always aligned along a plane.

This arrangement allows the planets to be visible in a line from Earth, especially along the ecliptic, which is the apparent path the sun follows across the sky.

The visibility of planets depends on their positions relative to the sun and Earth—some, like Venus and Mercury, are often lost in the sun’s glare, while others, like Mars and Jupiter, can be seen at night.

The idea that this alignment is a once-in-a-lifetime event is rooted in a misinterpretation of a theoretical calculation by astronomer Jean Meeus.

A full planetary alignment, in which all eight planets are within 1.8 degrees of one another, might take place in roughly 396 billion years, according to Meeus' 1997 prediction.

However, because the planets are not so close together, this month's planetary alignment does not fit that particular requirement.

This January, six planets—Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—are visible, with Venus and Saturn in the western sky shortly after sunset and Jupiter and Mars in the east.

For the best viewing, mark Jan 21, when the moon reaches its Last Quarter phase and rises around midnight.

Looking ahead, Mercury will join the planetary lineup in early March, briefly visible in the first week of the month.

On March 8, catch Mercury between Saturn and Venus just after sunset, before it quickly disappears below the horizon, accompanied by a crescent moon.

So, while January's sky is a beautiful sight, there's no need to worry about missing a cosmic event that won’t happen again for 396 billion years.

The planets will continue their steady orbits, offering plenty of opportunities for future stargazing.