Venus, Saturn, Mercury, and Neptune Will Align in April – Here’s How to See It

Get ready for a fascinating sky show on 17 April 2025, when a planetary alignment will line up four planets: Venus, Saturn, Mercury, and Neptune, in the constellation Pisces. This alignment isn’t something that happens every day, so astronomy enthusiasts are eager to catch a glimpse.

Get Ready For Stunning Planetary Alignment On April 17th

In the Southern Hemisphere, the view will be most spectacular. About an hour before sunrise, these planets will rise high above the eastern horizon while the sky remains dark, making them easy to spot. Venus will be the brightest of the quartet, shining at a magnitude of -4.7. It’ll also be higher than the other planets, outshining everything else in the early morning sky – except the Moon.

Saturn will appear next, with a golden glow but much dimmer than Venus at magnitude 1.2. Mercury will be closer to the horizon with a magnitude of 0.5. While it may be tricky to catch, it’s worth trying, especially since it reaches its greatest elongation from the Sun on April 21, offering prime viewing conditions for April’s planetary alignment.

As for Neptune, it’s the faintest of the bunch at magnitude 7.9. You’ll need binoculars or a small telescope to see it, and it’ll be hanging around near Mercury from our perspective, making it easier to locate if you know where to look.

Best Places to See April’s Planetary Alignment

Northern Hemisphere viewers will have a tougher time with this one. Because of the planets’ positions and light conditions, only Venus will be easily visible. For the rest, better luck next time!

For those down south or closer to the equator, the best advice is to find a spot free of light pollution with a clear view of the eastern horizon. There are also some free stargazing apps that can be used, and these can help to show you exactly what you are looking at and where to look in the sky.

April 17th is an average of when this will be most evident, but it may be better in different locations on different days. Here is a list of locations around the world and when the April’s Planetary Alignment visibility will be best:

• Sydney: April 15, 7-degree sky sector
• Athens: April 17, 4-degree sky sector
• Beijing: April 17, 4-degree sky sector
• Mexico: April 17, 3-degree sky sector
• New York: April 17, 4-degree sky sector
• Abu Dhabi: April 18, 4-degree sky sector
• Bombay: April 18, 3-degree sky sector
• Hong Kong: April 18, 4-degree sky sector
• Tokyo: April 18, 4-degree sky sector