PLANET PARADE

What is a ‘Planet Parade’?

  • A ‘planet parade’ occurs when several planets in our solar system are visible in the night sky at the same time.
  • It is not an official term in astronomy, but it refers to a rare event when multiple planets can be seen aligning or forming an arc across the sky.
  • A radio astronomer and in-charge of the SciPOP outreach program at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA), explains that planets move at different speeds across the sky, and sometimes they align, allowing us to see many of them at once.
  • This can occur either in the morning sky or the evening sky.

CURRENT PLANET PARADE

  • For the past few days, four planets — Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars — have been visible to the naked eye.
  • Uranus and Neptune are also visible, but require a telescope or even a pair of binoculars to be seen.
  • These 6 planets are forming a breathtaking arc across the night sky, providing a spectacular viewing experience for skywatchers.

ARE PLANET PARADES RARE?

  • Planet parades are not extremely rare. According to NASA, these multi-planet viewing opportunities don’t happen every year, but they are not a once-in-a-lifetime event either.
  • The last such planet parade occurred in May-June 2024, when all the planets of the solar system were visible in the morning sky.
  • This current event has been ongoing since December, and it's not a one-day phenomenon.
  • In fact, Mercury, the fifth planet visible to the naked eye, will appear in the evening sky after February 20.
  • Alignment of planets is often talked about, but according to NASA, there is nothing special about the way planets appear to align.
  • The alignment is simply due to the plane of the solar system, causing planets to always appear in a sort of line.

HOW TO VIEW THE PLANETS?

  • There are eight planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus.
  • Of these, five planets can be seen with the naked eye — Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury (which will be visible later). The other two, Neptune and Uranus, require a telescope or binoculars to be seen clearly.
  • Planets are generally visible a few hours after sunset, when the sky is dark enough. Clear skies and the absence of light pollution are ideal for viewing.
  • This is why the best places to observe the planets are areas far from cities and towns.
  • To distinguish between planets and stars, look for twinkling.
  • Stars twinkle, while planets shine with a constant brightness. Planets are usually also brighter than stars.
  • There are now many mobile apps and websites available to help identify the exact locations of celestial bodies in the sky.