Ramazan moon sighting coincides with rare planetary parade tonight

Muslims around the world eager to spot the Ramazan crescent will witness a rare astronomical event today (February 28). Alongside the waxing crescent moon, a rare planetary alignment will grace the skies, with seven planets visible shortly after sunset.

This extraordinary "planetary parade" will coincide with the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramazan, making the evening a unique and memorable experience for stargazers and worshippers alike.

Every year, the month of Ramazan begins and ends with sighting the moon, but this time. The crescent will share the night sky with a rare planetary alignment, featuring all seven other planets in the solar system—Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars.

Spectators will be able to witness this celestial event just after sunset.

Read: Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to hold Ramadan moon sighting in Peshawar

A planetary alignment, also known as a "planetary parade," occurs when multiple planets converge on one side of the sun, creating a rare celestial spectacle. 

According to NASA, this phenomenon is not an official astronomy term but is called a colloquialism.

The alignment happens because all planets orbit the sun along the same plane, known as the ecliptic. As they travel along this path, they eventually catch up with each other, creating the illusion of a straight line as they pass Earth. 

However, the alignment is never perfectly straight and is short-lived due to the different speeds of each planet.

The duration of the alignment varies depending on the distance of each planet from the sun.