UP NISMED Observatory hosting visitors for rare 'planetary parade'

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February 11, 2025 | 3:34pm

MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED) will host a special event to witness a rare planetary alignment at the end of February.

The five closest and brightest planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — will be visible in the night sky to the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune can also be with the aid of lenses.

Mercury and Saturn will appear close together and may harder to see as they will be positioned low in the sky.

The next planetary alignment won't occur until October 2028, though seven planets aligning won't happen until 2040.

This year's "planetary parade" will take place after sunset, and the planets will appear in the sky like an arch.

To mark the occasion, the UP NISMED Observatory will host a "Parada ng mga Planeta" event on February 28 free to the public.

From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the observatory will have telescope viewings of the seven planets appearing in the sky.

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