Millions will be able to see four planets align in the sky with naked eye in rare cosmic event this month
Amidst the Arctic weather and dark skies, it's good to know that January is actually quite a cool month if you're a fan of astronomy.
The start of 2025 seems to be the prime time for planetary alignment, with a lot going on in space around us.
You won't need any specialist equipment or technology either, so no need to get annoyed over the fact that you don't have a telescope - the night sky will have something for all of us with the naked eye.
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The rare event is something to behold, though it's not the first time something like this has happened.
For most of January, four of the eight planets in our solar system (sorry, Pluto) will be visible if the sky is clear enough at night, IFLScience reports.
Well, five if you're one of the astronauts stranded on the International Space Station who are able to look back at the glorious blue planet that we call Earth.
So, if you're a sucker for a pretty night sky, I'd advise you make your way out to a rural area on a clear night and look up - and you'll be able to see all of these planets.
Sadly, Mercury is on the other side of the Sun, so the closest planet to our star (AKA the sun) will not be visible.
But the rest of them are hard to miss: Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will align and be visible to on-lookers from west to east, in that order and in varying sizes.
Venus and Jupiter will be the brightest planets in the sky, and finding the former is easy: Just look west after sunset and it'll be shining back at you.
Saturn is a bit of a harder planet to spot as it is the furthest away out of the four, though you may still be able to pick it out in areas with light-pollution, as long as the sky is clear.
If you're lost, find Venus and head to our Moon or Jupiter in the sky, and you'll find the nearest ringed planet in our system.
The prime time to find it will be on 17 and 18 January, as it will share a 'cosmic kiss' with Venus before making its way West, from our world's perspective.
Jupiter is an easy find, as it is also bright and visible after sunset in the high on the celestial dome. It's also the biggest planet in our solar system so some would say it's harder to miss.
Mars is the planet that will be furthest east, with the red planet reaching its brightest point on 16 January as it reaches opposition.
Recognising the planets is easy too, obviously less light pollution helps, but they can be found along the same line followed by the Moon and Sun in out sky - also known as the ecliptic.
Planets, unlike stars, do not twinkle. They are like little disks, and the light they emit is not bent by the atmosphere, like light from many stars.
With a telescope, you'll also be able to spot our ice planets in Uranus and Neptune, which can be found between Saturn and Jupiter in the sky.
In February, Mercury will make its return to the night sky too.
Topics: Science, Space, Technology, UK News
Joshua Nair