A rare astronomical event: the parade of planets for Christmas 2026 will create the "Star of Bethlehem"

In January 2026, humanity will witness a unique astronomical phenomenon — the solar parade of planets, coinciding with Christmas. At this moment, the Sun, Venus and Mars will line up almost in one line, creating the effect of a bright point of light resembling the Star of Bethlehem. According to scientists, such an event occurs no more than once every few centuries. Learn more about when the next solar parade is expected and whether it will be possible to see it, Izvestia reports.

What is a parade of planets?

A parade of planets is an optical effect associated with the movement of planets around the Sun. When several planets are approximately in line from the point of view of an observer on Earth, it seems as if they are "aligned in a row" in the firmament.

Photo: Global Look Press/Britta Pedersen

According to the honorary Doctor of Sciences, professor Sergey Chumakov,

— The parade of planets is an optical illusion. It seems that the planets are side by side, but in reality they are separated by distances of hundreds of millions of kilometers. This is because their orbital motion temporarily aligns them on the same line relative to us," said Honorary Doctor of Sciences, lecturer Sergey Chumakov.

The scientist explained that a "solar" parade is one in which the planets line up on both sides or on one side of the Sun.

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Solar Parade of Planets in 2026: when will it take place

President of the Nauka Foundation. Art. Technologies", space design researcher Elena Orlova clarified that the nearest solar parade of planets will take place on the night of January 6-7, 2026.

— Mars, Venus and Mercury will be almost at the same point next to the Sun. This is a rare configuration, because the orbits of all three planets are tilted at different angles. In order for the angular distance to be reduced to one degree, a special geometry of the movement of bodies is required, which is formed only once every few centuries," the expert said.

Venus

Photo: Global Look Press/Cover Images

Will it be possible to see the solar parade of planets in January 2026

Despite the spectacular nature of the phenomenon, it is impossible to see it with the naked eye. According to Sergey Chumakov, the solar parade of planets takes place very close to the Sun, which means it is in the daytime sky.

— The light of the Sun completely covers the radiance of the planets. Using a telescope, you can damage your eyesight if a sunbeam hits the optics. Such phenomena are recorded exclusively with the help of scientific equipment — coronographs and satellite instruments," the expert explained.

Elena Orlova also clarified that for a wide range of observers, the event will remain theoretical.

— Unfortunately, you will not be able to see this parade of planets: the light of the Sun will "kill" the light of the planets. Even with binoculars or a telescope, it is unsafe to observe the phenomenon: accidental sunlight entering the optics can damage vision. Therefore, this parade of planets will remain an event that can be traced only by astronomers' calculations, and not in the night sky," the researcher emphasized.

What is unique about the Christmas parade of planets

According to calculations by the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy at the Institute of Space Research and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI and ISSF RAS), the conjunction of Mars and Venus with the Sun will occur only four times in the current millennium: in January 2026, in June 2267, in December 2324 and in December 2623.

Photo: Global Look Press/NASA

Scientists separately emphasize not only the rarity of the configuration itself, but also its coincidence with Christmas. According to their estimates, the probability that such a close connection of the planets with the Sun will occur on a specific calendar day is about once every 20 millennia.

Now Mars and Venus have already begun to approach the Sun and are located at a distance of about 10 degrees — Mars on the left, Venus on the right. By New Year's Eve, the distance will be reduced to 2-3 degrees, and in the period from January 6 to January 8 it will decrease to about 1-1.2 degrees, when the maximum visual convergence corresponding to the Christmas period will occur.

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An additional uniqueness is given to the configuration by the date of January 22, when Mercury will join the "parade" of Venus and Mars. On this day, all three planets will be at the minimum average angular distance from the Sun and together with it will form an almost even diamond-shaped shape visually resembling the four-rayed star of Bethlehem. Astronomers will have to wait until June 2235 for the next such phenomenon, and then the convergence of all three planets near the Sun (within 10 degrees) is expected only in September 2038.

Photo: TASS/Alexander Patrin

The last notable parade of planets was observed on February 28, 2025, when Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars lined up in a row in the sky, with four planets — Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Mars — visible to the naked eye.