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On January 25, 2025, a unique planetary alignment of seven planets will create a stunning arc in the night sky.

About the Planetary Parade

A planetary parade is a rare astronomical event that occurs when several planets align in a small area of the sky.

The planets appear to be aligned in a straight line when viewed from Earth, but they are millions of miles apart.

Types of Planetary Parades

Mini parade: Three planets align in the sky. This is the most common type of planetary parade, occurring several times a year.
Small parade: Four planets align in the sky. This type of parade occurs about once a year.
Large parade: Five or six planets align in the sky. This type of parade occurs about once every 10 to 20 years.
Great parade: All eight planets align in the sky. This is the rarest type of parade, occurring once every 100 to 200 years or more.

Planetary parades are not uncommon; minor alignments occur annually. However, alignments involving five or more planets are less frequent, happening once every few years.

Upcoming Planetary Parades in 2025

January 21: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn will align in the evening.
January 25: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Mercury will align in an arc across the night sky.
February 28: Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars will align in the evening.
August 11: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn will align in the morning.

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Source:

NDTV

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements:

1. Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the solar system.

2. A red giant is a star that has run out of hydrogen fuel.

3. A protostar is an old star.

How many of the above statements are correct?

A) Only one

B) Only two

C) All three

D) None

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct:

Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the solar system, it is a massive shield volcano on Mars, nearly 2.5 times taller than Mount Everest. It is a shield volcano with broadsides and numerous lava channels.

Statement 2 is correct:

A red giant is a star that has run out of hydrogen fuel in its core and has expanded to a giant size. Red giants are dying stars that can remain in this state for up to a billion years.

Statement 3 is incorrect:

A protostar is a young star that is still in the early stages of formation.

Protostars form when gravity overcomes thermal pressure in a molecular cloud of gas and dust, causing the cloud to collapse.