Mysuru: Students were thrilled to witness a rare astronomical phenomenon, observing four planets at the same time — Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — with the naked eye shortly after Sunset. They also delighted in viewing Neptune and Uranus through a telescope.

During a special planetary observation event held on the rooftop of CFTRI School in Mysuru on Saturday, students, under the guidance of experts, marvelled at the sight of these planets.

The event served as an enriching experience for students and parents, sparking curiosity and spreading awareness about celestial phenomena. While Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were visible unaided, Neptune and Uranus, which cannot be seen with the naked eye, were viewed through telescopes.

Although the programme was primarily organised for 10th Standard students of the school, enthusiastic students from other grades also participated. Additionally, many parents joined to experience the celestial spectacle alongside their children.

Guidance from educators

The observation was conducted under the guidance of octogenarian and former Principal and Professor of Physics at Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Dr. S.N. Prasad, retd. Professor Mudugodu Krishnamurthy and alumnus of CFTRI School Chiranjeevi.

Speaking to SOM, Dr. Prasad remarked, “The unique feature of today is the simultaneous visibility of four planets. Remaining two, Neptune & Uranus, require a telescope. Such occurrences are not extremely rare; they have happened before and will occur again. Unfortunately, some media and social media platforms exaggerate this as a phenomenon occurring once in hundreds of years,” he said, adding his disappointment at the misinformation.

Not a planetary parade

Dr. Prasad clarified that this event should not be termed a planetary parade or conjunction. “These planets are not aligned in a single row. Such alignment is astronomically impossible even in billions of years,” he explained.

He emphasised the importance of creating awareness about astronomical events, noting that this phenomenon, though special, is predictable. “Mars is appearing exceptionally bright now because sunlight is directly falling on it. This brightness is a recurring event approximately every two years. Jupiter and Venus are generally bright; however, Venus is often mistaken for a star. Seeing four planets simultaneously is rare but not unprecedented,” he elaborated. Besides the planets, several other celestial objects were also shown.  Earlier in the morning, all the students of the school had a chance to see the telescopic image of the Sun and the spots on its surface with three different small instruments, set up by the same team.

Venus resembling a half-moon

Astronomer Vasanth Hegde demonstrated the event at Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala in Yadavagiri on Saturday where he highlighted a distinctive feature of Venus during the observation that was held for a day at the institution. “Through the telescope, Venus resembles a half-moon,” he explained.

He said, “The 4 Planets look magnificent to naked eye. However, it is a misconception that such events occur only once in many years or that Planets appear in a straight line. Currently, Saturn & Venus are visible in the west, while Mars & Jupiter can be seen near the east. They are not aligned in a straight line, as some reports falsely claim.”