Planetary alignment in April 2026
Four planets—Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Neptune—will align in mid-to-late April 2026, appearing close together in the sky.
Three of those planets—Mercury, Mars, and Saturn—will be visible to the naked eye. To see Neptune, you will need a telescope.
Where to find: In mid-to-late April 2026, as seen from mid-southern latitudes, you will find them low in the eastern sky about an hour before sunrise. They will rise about two hours before sunrise. Also, a waning crescent moon will appear near the four planets on the morning of April 16, 2026.
How long it lasts: The four planets will appear close together after Saturn and Neptune emerge from the sunrise glare around mid-April. They will remain visible until early May 2026 before Mercury fades into the sunrise glare. They will appear closest between April 18 and 22.
View from the Northern Hemisphere: The planetary alignment will be difficult to observe from the Northern Hemisphere as the ecliptic—the path of the sun, moon, and planets—makes a narrow angle with the horizon on spring mornings.
What is a planetary alignment?
A planetary alignment is an astronomical event in which multiple planets line up on the same side of the sun in their respective orbits.
When the planets line up in space, you can’t perceive their distance in the sky. As a result, you see them close together in the sky.
If the alignment is perfect, the planets overlap in the sky, appearing as a single point of light to the naked eye.
While a planetary conjunction—where only two planets appear close together in the sky—is relatively common, a planetary alignment, which involves three or more planets, is a rare event.
Why does a planetary alignment occur?
The planets orbit the sun at different speeds and distances in roughly the same plane, known as the ecliptic.
On occasion, due to their different orbital speeds, the planets line up on the same side of the sun in their respective orbits, creating a planetary alignment.
How long does a planetary alignment last?
A planetary alignment is not a single-day event. When it occurs, it can last for several days because the planets—especially the outer planets—move slowly in their respective orbits.
What is the difference between a planetary alignment and a planet parade?
A planetary alignment occurs when multiple planets line up in space, whereas a planet parade occurs when multiple planets appear to line up in our night sky.
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Why nobody talking about the fact that mercury, venus, earth and neptune is aling as sunday march 16 2025
Hello Max,
Thanks for the comment. This is because we discuss the planetary alignment that is visible in the night sky. Currently Neptune is too close to the sun to be visible in the night sky. Only Mercury and Venus are visible close together in the evening twilight. They appeared closest (conjunction of Mercury and Venus) on March 9, 2025.