Four planets visible over Ontario this month

Under clear skies, a “planet parade” should be visible in Ontario and beyond this month.

Four planets — Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars — should appear in the night sky for the first couple of hours after dark, according to NASA’s skywatch for January 2025.

While some skywatchers suggest there is a unique alignment of the planets, NASA says the plants always appear in a long line in the sky.

What is less common is seeing four or five bright planets at once, NASA said. This doesn’t happen every year.

The Farmer’s Almanac called this a “planet parade.”

“In January and February 2025, six planets will form a giant arc in the evening sky: Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn,” the Farmer’s Almanac noted.

In the first couple of hours after dark, skywatchers should find Venus and Saturn in the southwest, Jupiter high overhead, and Mars in the east, NASA said.

Uranus and Neptune are also there but a telescope is needed to see them.

In southern Ontario, cloudy skies are expected for the next few nights. Better skywatching could come early next week with partly cloudy conditions on Jan. 6, 7 and 8.

See more on skywatching from NASA here.

Lead photo: Frank Cone