As the buzz around the so-called 'Parade of Planets' heats up on social media and news channels, the Public Astronomical Observatory in Panjim said there is unnecessary hype being created around the cosmic event set to occur on January 25, 2025.
The observatory said it was being widely publicised that on the evening of the said date, the solar system will align in a straight line on the opposite side of the earth in what is billed as a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
Here are some of the misconceptions the Public Astronomical Observatory cleared:
PLANETARY ALIGNMENTS AREN'T RARE
Such a phenomenon will not occur only on January 25 this year as is widely publicised. Planetary alignments are not rare events and occasionally appear in the heavens above.
The last time this happened was in 2022 and more will occur in the coming years. A Parade of Planets phenomenon is a loose term for the visible grouping of the planets in a straight line in one portion of the dark sky.
In scientific parlance, this is technically called a planetary alignment.
The last time this happened was in 2022 and more will occur in the coming years.
EVENING SKY ALREADY ALIGNED
Nothing specific will occur on January 25 since the visibility of the planets in the evening sky has already commenced from December 2024.
Jupiter and Saturn were visible after 7 pm by December 2024 and will continue to remain in the skies till February 2025.
Mars rises in the evening sky in January while Venus has already achieved Greatest Eastern elongation on January 9 and continues to shine very brightly above the western horizon throughout the month.
PLANETS ALIGN LOOSELY IN THE SKY
All the visible planets, except Mercury, are already aligned loosely in the sky from January till the third week of February 25.
Some sources have also claimed that Mercury, too, would be part of this alignment, but the planet is actually in the pre-dawn sky at this time of its western elongation and is not a part of this grouping.
Some sources have also claimed that Mercury, too, would be part of this alignment, but the planet is actually in the pre-dawn sky at this time of its western elongation and is not a part of this grouping.
NO SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR EARTHQUAKES
A wide range of natural phenomena like earthquakes and tidal waves are supposedly being predicted during this period due to the combined gravitational pull of the planets.
This holds absolutely no scientific basis. Also, this grouping does not affect humans or the environment.
IF YOU WISH TO SEE AND LEARN MORE
Due to the appearance of most visible planets in the evening sky and the combined motion of the moon passing between them, a variety of beautiful astronomical sightings like celestial groupings, alignments and conjunctions are scheduled occasionally throughout the months of January and February this year.
Keeping this in mind, the Public Astronomical Observatory at the Junta House, Panjim, will be open for all astronomy enthusiasts from 7 pm to 9 pm on weekdays to view this two-month long so-called 'Parade of Planets'.