Trivian skygazers gung-ho over ‘Parade of the Planets’

Astro CET plans to organise a public viewing of this celestial phenomenon on January 27 in association with the Breakthrough Science Society, which will provide technical support.
Trivian skygazers gung-ho over ‘Parade of the Planets’
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3 min read

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It seems like January is hosting many celestial phenomena. The talk continues about the planetary positions that make this year’s Kumbh Mela one of the rarest in 144 years. Alongside, January is also the month to witness a less faith-related yet equally awe-inspiring spectacle unfolding in the skies.

Seven planets of the solar system will be visible together in a linear fashion from most parts of earth, in what astro-enthusiasts are calling a unique ‘Parade of the Planets’.

“The slow alignment of the planets in such an arrangement began in early January itself. In some places, such as Kerala, viewings have already begun to show the linear alignment of some of the planets. The arrangement of all the planets this way is expected to be visible for about a week or two starting from around January 21,” says Naveen Varma, a member of Astro CET, the astronomy club of the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram.

Astro CET plans to organise a public viewing of this celestial phenomenon on January 27 in association with the Breakthrough Science Society, which will provide technical support.

“We require a telescope that may need to magnify some of the planets, although big ones like Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, or even the bright ones like Venus will be visible to the naked eye,” Naveen adds.

CET’s session on January 27 will begin at 5:30pm and will be open to the public. (For more details, readers can contact Naveen at 9207502832.)

Representational images
Representational images

According to astronomy enthusiasts, the visibility of the planets from Earth is not as rare as it might seem, but the uniqueness lies in the simultaneous presence of so many planets in a near-linear arrangement.

“The curvature of our planet and the specific positioning of each planet will help us spot them, though in general, objects in a straight line might interfere with the visibility of individual celestial bodies,” explains Siddhi Pendharkar, an avid astro-watcher who also enjoys photographing celestial bodies from remote locations.

“What’s rare is the number of planets visible together. That is definitely something to watch out for.”

Aastro Kerala is also planning outreach programmes and viewing sessions at institutions and public places, along with online interactive meetings on the topic, says V S Shyam, who leads activities at Aastro Kerala, which regularly organises night-sky viewing sessions at the Planetarium.

“We are in the process of finalising dates for the sessions, but there are related activities underway in which we are participating as resource persons,” Shyam says. (For Aastro Kerala’s viewing schedules, contact 94475 89773.)

While interest runs high, weather and sky clarity could play spoilsport during this phase. Some groups stationed in the suburbs of the capital are hoping for clear skies to catch a glimpse of the activity.

“The weather on our campus has not been very clear for us to plan something. But we are indeed excited about the event and hope the skies clear, allowing us to arrange the viewing,” says Saswat Subhangar, a member of Parsec, IISER-Thiruvananthapuram’s astro club.

The eyes of astronomy (and astrology) fans are thus fixed on the cosmic tracks as planets traverse the ecliptic, essentially the plane of their movement around the Sun.

“Some planets are already appearing closer than usual to others. The show is already quite on,” says Naveen.

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