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Stargazers gather to witness planetary alignment at PIA Planetarium in Karachi

Stargazers gather to witness planetary alignment at PIA Planetarium in Karachi

The activity saw over 200 people queuing up to see the 'Planets Parade'.
03 Feb, 2025

The lawns of the PIA Planetarium were turned into an amateur observatory as young and old alike huddled around telescopes to catch a glimpse of four celestial bodies, on Sunday.

The ‘Planets Parade’ activity — organised by the Karachi Astronomers Society (KAS) — saw over 200 people queuing up to witness the planetary alignment that everyone has been talking about for a few weeks now.

Although Venus, Jupiter and Mars could be seen with the naked eye, conditions were not ripe to spot the many-ringed Saturn in the hazy Karachi sky.

The oragnisers explained that the planets in our solar system orbit in a two-dimensional plane known as an elliptical. Every once in a while, these celestial bodies line up so that several of them are visible simultaneously in the night sky, in close proximity to each other.

On Sunday night, the moon and Venus posed close together, while Jupiter and Mars were visible at the zenith of the night sky. Neptune and Uranus — although part of the planetary alignment phenomenon — can only be seen through high-powered telescopes, and in the absence of ambient city light.

The public activity was virtually free of cost, with visitors only having to pay the price of admission. KAS volunteers played the role of science communicators as they guided curious Karachiites peering through telescopes into the sky.

Avid stargazers should keep their eyes peeled on Feb 28, 2025, when all seven planets will huddle together for an unforgettable sight.

Originally published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2025

Comments

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Feb 03, 2025 03:16pm
Gathering of 200 plus enthusiasts by the Karachi Astronomers Society (KAS) at the PIA Planetarium to watch the seven planets of the solar system with naked eye and through the telescopes is great and amazing.
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Taj Ahmad Feb 03, 2025 04:07pm
Simply great and beautiful, can’t wait for this moment on February 28th, 2025.
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J.Nazareth Feb 03, 2025 08:32pm
It was a worthwhile experience. My 1st time viewing it via a telescope along with my daughter, nieces, sister and brother in law. The cherry on the cake was viewing Jupiter with its moons. Simply loved this experience. ❤️
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