Four-planet parade: How and when to watch the rare alignment in India

Weather ePaper Today’s Paper Journalism of Courage Home ePaper Politics Explained Opinion India Business Premium Cities UPSC Entertainment Sports World Lifestyle Tech Subscribe Sign In TrendingUPSC OfferIPL 2026US NewsPuzzles & GamesLegal NewsFresh TakeHealthResearch🎙️ Podcast Advertisement function checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript() { if (window.jQuery) { // jQuery is loaded, include your script jQuery(document).ready(function($) { // Your existing script for checking window width if (window.innerWidth) var page_w = window.innerWidth; else if (document.all) var page_w = document.body.clientWidth; if (page_w > 1024) { $(".add-left, .add-right").show(); } else { $(".add-left, .add-right").hide(); } }); } else { // jQuery is not loaded, check again after 0.2 seconds setTimeout(checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript, 200); } } // Initial call to the function checkAndLoadWindowSizeScript(); NewsTechnologyScienceFour-planet parade: How and when to watch the rare alignment in India Four-planet parade: How and when to watch the rare alignment in India The rare planetary alignment will be visible in India from April 16 to 23, best seen before sunrise. By: Science Desk3 min readApr 16, 2026 10:09 AM IST The alignment will be visible across many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. In India, the best time to catch the event will be about 30 minutes before sunrise.(Image: freepik) Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT Skywatchers are set for a rare treat this April as four planets, Mercury, Mars, Saturn and Neptune, will come together in the early morning sky. The alignment will be visible from April 16 to April 23, offering a short but fascinating window to spot multiple planets at once. For viewers in India, the event will be visible, provided the skies are clear, and they are willing to wake up before sunrise. A planetary alignment occurs when several planets appear to cluster in the same part of the sky as seen from Earth. While it may look like they are close to one another, that is not actually the case. In reality, the planets remain millions of kilometres apart. The effect is created because all planets orbit the Sun along a similar flat path, known as the ecliptic. From Earth, this shared path can make them appear lined up. The alignment will be visible across many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. In India, the best time to catch the event will be about 30 minutes before sunrise. This means skywatchers should look up between roughly 5 am and 5.45 am, depending on their location. The important thing is to orient yourself toward the eastern horizon and find a place that is not surrounded by tall structures or artificial lighting. The best time to watch this phenomenon should fall between April 18 and April 20, when the planets will be more visible in formation. These four planets will be located at various altitudes above the horizon, in a row. The exciting part of this phenomenon is that the planets’ arrangement will gradually change over time. The planets may initially seem to be in a triangular configuration. However, by April 20, their arrangement will start shifting to a diagonal alignment. Thus, one can witness how the positions of the planets change over just a few days. Planetary alignments like this do not happen often in such a clear and compact form. While three-planet groupings are more common, seeing four planets together in the same part of the sky is a rarer sight. For those willing to wake up early, this week-long event offers a simple yet memorable way to connect with the night sky; no special equipment is required for most of the planets.