Stargazers across the UK will be ecstatic this week as seven planets become visible across UK skies for the last time until 2040.
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury and Saturn will all be visible for a brief amount of time.
This phenomenon is known as a "planetary parade" and will be the last time seven planets will be seen simultaneously in the night sky for another 15 years.
When will the seven planets be visible in UK skies this week?
Ready for a planetary parade? 🪐 This week, the evening sky will showcase a captivating alignment of the five brightest planets (Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Saturn) along with the more distant Uranus and Neptune. 📸 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute pic.twitter.com/L4nsHxLdQi
— Canadian Space Agency (@csa_asc) February 24, 2025
According to the BBC, your best chances of seeing the seven planets will be just after sunset on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (February 25, 26 and 27).
Four of the planets will be visible to the naked eye, including Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars.
Saturn will be much harder to see because it will be low on the horizon with a telescope being required to spot Uranus and Neptune.
The window to spot this celestial event will be very brief with Dr Edward Bloomer, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, telling stargazers: "You really only have a few minutes after sunset to catch them before they drop below the horizon.
"After that, you'll still be able to see Venus, Jupiter, and Mars clearly for a much longer time."
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What's the weather forecast this week amid planetary parade?
The Met Office states that rainy conditions are expected across much of the UK this week with the worst of this being seen on Wednesday when heavy rain sweeps eastwards.
Only a few patches of rain are expected on Thursday with many regions being able to expect clear and sunny conditions.
