Rare Celestial Alignment Allows to View Six Planets

According to Prof. Chandana Jayaratne, Director of the Astronomy and Space Science Unit at the University of Colombo, and Chairman of the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies, this planetary display can be seen in the 90 minutes following sunset, from now until January 29th, and even into mid-February.

The alignment includes Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, which are bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. Meanwhile, Uranus and Neptune require a telescope to be observed.

"All the planets follow the same general path across the sky, making them easier to spot along an imaginary line from west to east," Prof. Jayaratne explained. "Start by looking west: Venus is the brightest, with Saturn just below it. Draw a line between these two, and follow it upwards to find Jupiter high in the sky. 

Continuing along the line, Mars appears as a glowing red spot to the east, especially bright this month as it is opposite the sun from our position."

For those with telescopes, Prof. Jayaratne advised that Neptune can be seen glowing blue just above and south of Venus, while Uranus is visible just to the west of Jupiter.

This celestial event offers a rare opportunity for stargazing enthusiasts to experience a breathtaking alignment of planets in the night sky.