Hyderabad News: Sky-watchers in Hyderabad are waiting for the ‘Parade of Planets’ on June 3

Hyderabad: Skygazers in the city are eagerly waiting for the much-hyped ‘parade of planets’ on June 3.The celestial event will see six planets – Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn – lined up in the sky at dawn. However, planetary experts in the city say viewing the entire line-up could be challenging due to the presence of the rising Sun and the Moon.Only three of these – Mars, Saturn and Jupiter – will be visible to the naked eye, says N Raghunandan Kumar, director, Planetary Society, India. “You will be able to see Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. If you have a telescope and know where to look, you can see Uranus,” says N Raghunandan Kumar, director, Planetary Society, India.
The Sun will illuminate the sky in that region. It is just before sunrise, but it will still be very bright. “You probably wouldn’t want to point the telescope too close to the Sun,” says Kumar. About an hour before sunrise in Hyderabad may be the best time to watch the show. “By 4:15 am, both Saturn and Mars will be visible above the horizon in the eastern sky, looking like no twinkling stars,” he says. For those wishing to see Jupiter, it is best to view it under expert supervision at a planetarium or with the telescopes of amateur astronomers. For those hoping to spot Uranus and Neptune, binoculars will be useful.

However, Kumar added that to see these distant planets, one would have to zoom in quite a bit, which reduces the field of view and makes it difficult to see the alignment of other planets. Moreover, Mars and Saturn will be visible throughout the year, with many more celestial events involving these planets expected to occur in the coming years.