Sky watchers in the city are in for a celestial treat at the end of this month as they get an opportunity to see Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, all in one night. It is a rare phenomenon as these are the only planets visible to naked eye from earth, and all five will be seen in one go.

Arvind Paranjpye, director, Nehru Planetarium, said, “One or more of these planets are usually hidden behind the sun, hence they cannot be seen in a single night.”

The phenomenon is estimated to take place between February 22 and 24. Venus and the moon will be seen together around February 23 to 24. The five planets will be seen between 7 pm and 1 am during this period.

In fact, Mars and Saturn are already easily visible without optical aids, from sunset to sunrise. Mars can be seen in the east with the naked eye. Venus is visible towards the west after sunset, till 9 pm and Jupiter can be seen above Venus till 11 pm.

Paranjpye said, “In the coming days, Saturn will be seen in the east close to midnight. February is shaping up to be an excellent month for those who like to gaze at the night sky, especially for those who like to look at our closest neighbours in the universe, the planets.”

Mercury, the innermost planet of the solar system, will be visible in the evening sky during the last week of February.

Paranjpye said, “Uranus is also visible these days and can be easily spotted, compared to other days. It can otherwise be seen only with the help of specialised star maps. However, in the coming few days, it will be close to Venus. Since Venus is easy to spot, spotting Uranus without the help of specialised maps is possible.”