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Skywatchers, look out for Fab Five!

There's a rare treat for skywatchers and astronomy buffs.

Bengaluru: There’s a rare treat for skywatchers and astronomy buffs. For the first time in a decade, you can catch five planets in a row, and with the naked eye. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will stay in this arrangement until February 20.

The catch: You need to get up an hour before dawn to be able to see them. Jupiter comes up by 10 PM, Mars a little after midnight, Saturn and Venus in the early morning, and Mercury just before sunrise. All but Mercury are naked eye planets.

Antares, the red star in Scorpius, and Spica, a binary star in Virgo, two of the brightest stars in the night sky are close by. The moon joins the party next Wednesday. The best time to see the Fab Five in India is between January 28 and February 10. Pray for clear skies, head to a spot where there isn’t too much light.

( Source : deccan chronicle )
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