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Here’s how it works. The last time the eight planets were grouped within 30 degrees of each other was Jan. 1, 1665. (Image credit: Steve Allen via Getty Images)
The last time the eight planets aligned within 30 degrees was January 1, 1665, and the next time will be March 20, 2673, according to the National Solar Observatory's facility at Sacramento Peak, California.
"Staying focused on the eight main planets, it's also uncommon for all eight planets to even be in the same part of the sky; this occurs every few thousand years and was last recorded in 949 C.E. Astronomers predict the next planetary alignment will occur will be on the night of May 6, 2492."
The last time a seven-planet alignment occurred was on April 8, 2024, during the total solar eclipse. The last time all eight planets aligned was on Dec. 28, 2022, according to Sky and...
The last time all eight planets in our solar system aligned within a specific angular range was on February 7, 1962. During this event, the Sun, the Moon, and all the planets except Uranus were within 16° of each other in the constellation Aquarius.
The next planetary alignment will take place in February 2026. Six planets — Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune, Venus, and Mercury — will align in the evening sky. Find out how to see this unique event!
The last significant planetary alignment occurred in 2000, when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were all lined up.
NASA launched the Voyager spacecraft in 1977 to take advantage of a rare alignment among the outer four planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) that would not take place for another 175 years.
Seven planets grace the sky at the end of February in what’s known as a planetary parade, though some will be difficult to spot with the naked eye.
After Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune aligned in the night sky between January 21 and 29, it will be the last time until 2040 that all seven planets, including Mercury, will...