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The third weekend of January, specifically the dates of January 18 and 19, will mark Venus and Saturn in conjunction, appearing almost right beside one another in the evening sky. Further, on these two days, these two planets will come within about 2 degrees of one another, marking a spectacular opportunity for sky-gazers.
Termed as a planetary conjunction or planetary parade, this weekend allows one to catch six planets in the night sky, out of which can be seen with the naked eye in areas without light pollution. While Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn can be spotted without any special equipment, Neptune, and Uranus can be seen with the help of binoculars or telescopes.
In Bhubaneswar, Venus will be best visible at about 5:39 pm in the western sky as a bright dot, as per the Time and Date website. Saturn will be right beside Venus and can be spotted best at 5:54 pm.
Similarly, Mars will shine as a glowing red dot in the eastern sky and will be best visible at 11:45 pm whereas Jupiter will glow with a giant white glow in the northern sky and can be best seen with the naked eye at 8:34 pm.
Using binoculars or telescopes, one can spot Uranus in the southern sky, best at 7:17 pm and Neptune in the western sky at 6:49 pm for best visibility.
For optimal stargazing in Odisha, consider locations away from city lights, such as the Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary near Bhubaneswar, or beaches along the coast like Puri or Gopalpur. These areas offer darker skies with less light pollution, enhancing the visibility of celestial objects.
ALSO READ: Planetary Parade: A Celestial Spectacle for Stargazers in India and Odisha
Incidentally, the stellar phenomenon is also known as a planetary conjunction which occurs when two or more planets appear close together in the sky when aligned in their orbits around the Sun.
Several mobile apps like Star Walk 2, Sky Tonight, Stellarium Mobile, and SkySafari are available for both Android and iOS to display the night sky in real-time, allowing you to identify stars, planets, constellations, and other celestial objects simply by pointing your phone at the sky.
(Disclaimer: Sky-gazers are advised to check websites like timeanddate.com to get accurate and updated information for their star-gazing plans)
