Six-planet Parade to light up Jamnagar sky on Feb 28, telescopic viewing arranged for public

Sky-watchers in Jamnagar are set for a rare celestial spectacle on Saturday evening as a striking “Planet Parade” will unfold over the western horizon. The astronomical event, featuring six planets visible at the same time, will be observed on February 28 shortly after sunset.

To mark the occasion, the Jamnagar Astronomical Mandal in collaboration with the Rangtali Group will organise a public demonstration from 6 pm to 7 pm at the exhibition ground. Four telescopes will be set up to provide live views of the planets, allowing astronomy enthusiasts and the general public to witness the rare alignment.

From around 6 pm, six planets Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter will be visible together in the western and southwestern sky. The coming 10 days are considered especially significant for astronomy lovers, as such simultaneous visibility is uncommon. 

Organisers describe the event as not only a scientific phenomenon but also a moment of inspiration particularly for children, budding astronomers and photographers eager to capture the rare arrangement.

In astronomical terms, the phenomenon is known as a planetary alignment or “Planet Parade”. Although the planets may appear to form a straight line from Earth, this is actually an optical illusion. In reality, the planets are located millions of kilometres apart in space. However, since most planets orbit the Sun along nearly the same plane, they sometimes appear clustered in a single region of the sky when viewed from Earth.

Each planet has a different orbital period Mercury completes a revolution around the Sun in 88 days, Venus in 225 days, Earth in 365 days, Jupiter in about 12 years, and Saturn in roughly 28 years. Because of these varying orbital cycles, it is rare for multiple planets to be visible together in the evening sky. While six planets were seen during a similar event in early 2025, this year Mercury will be visible in place of Mars.

As per reports,a similar planetary gathering was observed on January 25 last year, drawing thousands of visitors. On that occasion, the Astronomical Society Jamnagar, along with the Rangtali Group and the M D Mehta Science Center Dhrol, arranged public viewing through five telescopes. The enthusiastic turnout encouraged organisers to once again arrange telescopic viewing this year.

In addition to the six planets, the nearly full Moon illuminated at about 92% on the occasion of Phagun Sud Baras will shine high in the eastern sky. It will appear near the Beehive Cluster (also known as Praesepe) in the constellation Cancer. This star cluster can be observed clearly through binoculars, adding another highlight to the evening’s skywatching experience.

Astronomers note that while it is not unusual to spot one or two planets in the evening sky, witnessing six at once is a rare and memorable event. Though they may seem aligned in a straight row, the visual formation is simply a perspective effect in reality, the planets remain widely separated in the vast expanse of space. With clear skies expected, Saturday promises to be a golden opportunity for residents of Jamnagar to witness a spectacular display of the solar system.