The stars are aligning and the Universe is helping you witness some magic!
If you are into stargazing or just love to look at the sky when you are out for a late-evening stroll, you would have witnessed how the sky looks distinctly beautiful these days. It is not a coincidence. The once-in-a-lifetime historic event happens only once every 396 billion years. Yes, it is that rare and the whole world is excited to see it. It has begun – read on to know more.
A planetary alignment is taking place at the end of this month while being at its peak on 25th January 2025. In this planet parade, 6 planets will align and will be visible in the sky. These are Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. While 4 of them will be visible to the naked eye, you will require a telescope to see Uranus and Neptune. This is a rare astronomical event where the planets will be seen in a ‘straight line’ as they gather closely at the same time in one direction of the Sun. Astronomers and stargazers popularly refer to this event as a “planet parade”.
Do yourself a favor and go, look at the night sky on 25/01/2025 to witness the experience that humanity will remember in history as the ‘golden conjunction’. The 4 planets – Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn – will be brightly visible while the other two will be quite faint; arrange a pair of high-powered binoculars if you want to see them. The bright Venus will be seen 45 minutes after sunset in the southwestern sky. The ringed planet Saturn will be just beneath Venus but will be quite hazy, unable to be viewed with the naked eye. Later in the night sky, 3 hours after sunset, Jupiter will be seen shining bright highest in the sky. On the eastern horizon, you will see Mars shining dimly in its reddish light. All these will be surrounded by several stars and constellations which will be a delight to watch.
You might want to download any good stargazing app that will help you locate the planets and other celestial objects in the sky. The planetary alignment will be visible almost everywhere in the evening hours. Note that you will get a clearer view of the event when you are in a less polluted region with minimal lights. Besides, the planet parade is not limited to only the 25th Jan. It has, in fact, already begun in many parts of the world and will be visible from January 18th through the 25th in different regions.
Curious to see the large planetary alignment? Consider using this weekend to travel somewhere away from the city lights. Keep your phones in your pockets and begin stargazing as you might not get to experience such a rare happenstance in your remaining lifetime.
