Residents of Nizhny Novgorod will see a solar parade of planets on the eve of Christmas 2026.

      04 January 2026 12:45 Science

      On the eve of Christmas 2026 a rare astronomical event is expected, which has already been dubbed the "Bethlehem Star." It is a parade of planets — when celestial bodies visually line up almost in a straight line. As explained to 360.ru by leading research fellow at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Natan Eismont, such phenomena appear to an observer on Earth as if the planets are located next to each other. In reality, there are hundreds of millions of kilometers between them.

      This year on Christmas Eve three objects — Mars, Venus and the Sun — will line up in the sky. According to the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy, from January 6 to 8 the distance between the planets and the Sun will be minimal — about one degree.

      Eismont explained that several days before Christmas Venus and Mars will begin approaching the Sun from different sides. On New Year's night there will be only 2–3 degrees between them, and by the start of the holidays — even less. In the second half of the month Mercury will join this group.

      Astronomers note the uniqueness of the event. Such an arrangement of the planets will occur only four times in a millennium: in January 2026, then in June 2267, in December 2324 and in December 2623.

      The parade has been unofficially named the "Bethlehem Star" because it can be observed on the eve of Christmas, and the glow of Mars and Venus, according to scientists, will resemble the bright light traditionally associated with the Christmas miracle in the Gospels.

      The phenomenon will be visible to the naked eye in clear night skies. The best time for observations is before sunrise or at sunset. Eismont recommends choosing locations away from city lights and using bright points as reference marks. Those will be Mars and Venus.

      You can also use mobile astronomy apps that, when pointed at the sky, will tell you where each planet is.

      During the day the parade will be indistinguishable: the Sun will be too close and its light will overwhelm everything. The daytime manifestation of the "Bethlehem Star" will only be visible with the help of space observatories equipped with coronagraphs — instruments that create the effect of an artificial solar eclipse.

      It was previously reported that in 2026 Russians will see several solar and lunar eclipses.

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