Bhubaneswar: Hundreds of enthusiasts queued up at Pathani Samanta Planetarium here on Friday to witness a rare parade of six planets — Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus — aligned in the evening sky.
Special arrangements were made, including provision of telescopes and guided commentary by experts for astronomy enthusiasts, students and families who gathered at the planetarium.
Urmiprabha Maharana, director in-charge of the planetarium, said, “The planet parade is a rare astronomical event, and we are thrilled to offer people an opportunity to witness it with professional equipment and guidance. Such events not only ignite curiosity but also foster a deeper connection with the universe.”
“I have always been fascinated by the stars and planets. Watching six planets align is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I didn’t want to miss it,” said Sarthak Sahu, a Class VIII student.
Bapi Patnaik, an astronomy enthusiast, brought his own telescopes to facilitate viewing of the celestial spectacle and explained how these planets, though millions of kilometres away, appeared to align from Earth’s perspective due to their orbital positions.
“I brought my children along to witness the spectacular event. It’s not every day you get to see something so extraordinary,” said Sanjukta Mohanty, a resident of Saheed Nagar.
The viewing is free of cost, making it accessible to all.
Experts suggested the planetarium authorities should make the viewing available till Jan 31 during the evenings except on Monday.