ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency said this week that people will be able to see the “Parade of the Planets,” a celestial spectacle in which four or more planets will line up in the sky, from the naked eye beginning from the last week of January till mid-February.
A planetary parade, or planetary alignment, is a rare celestial event where multiple planets in our solar system align in a straight line or appear close together in the sky. This occurs when the orbits of the planets bring them together in a specific configuration.
“The lining up of four or more planets in the sky is usually called Parade of the Planets,” Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said on Tuesday. “Out of all these planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye.”
It said that since the moon will be a waning crescent on Jan. 25, from a moderately pollution free sky, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will appear within a similar celestial line.
The space agency said familiarity with constellations would make it easier for people to identify planets. It said many free stargazing applications were available to identify celestial objects in the sky.
“To find out the name of an object, access the app and point the device toward the object in the sky and the app will display the names of the objects toward which the app is pointed out,” Suparco said.
It said Mars would be visible on the eastern horizon in the constellation Gemini whereas a brighter Jupiter would be located in the constellation Taurus.
“If the sky is dark enough, you can also enjoy the beautiful Pleiades, Hyades, and the yellow star Aldebaran,” Suparco said.
The space agency said high-powered binoculars or a telescope would be required to observe Uranus which lies in the constellation Aries.
It added that strong binoculars would be required to see Neptune in the constellation Pisces while Saturn and Venus would also be visible.
Pakistan’s space agency says rare ‘Planetary Parade’ to be visible from January’s last week
https://arab.news/88scn
Pakistan’s space agency says rare ‘Planetary Parade’ to be visible from January’s last week
- Planetary Parade refers to when four or more planets align in a straight line
- Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, says space agency
Pakistan seeks wider access to Canadian market as both sides want deeper agricultural cooperation
- Islamabad urges faster certification for canola and halal products in a bid to expand agricultural exports
- Canada pledges collaboration on pest management, invites Pakistan to the Canada Crops Convention
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday pressed for improved access to Canadian agricultural markets and faster certification procedures for key exports as Islamabad looks to modernize its climate-strained farm sector and resolve long-standing barriers to trade, according to an official statement.
The push comes as Pakistan, a largely agricultural economy, faces mounting challenges from erratic weather patterns, including floods, droughts and heatwaves, which have hurt crop yields and raised food security concerns. Islamabad has increasingly sought foreign partnerships and training to upgrade farm technology, while pursuing export-oriented growth to diversify markets for mangoes, rice, kinnow, dates and halal meat.
Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain and Canadian High Commissioner Tarik Ali Khan met to discuss “strengthening bilateral collaboration in agriculture, enhancing market access for key commodities, and advancing ongoing phytosanitary and technical cooperation,” according to the statement.
“Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain stressed the importance of resolving market access challenges to ensure uninterrupted trade in priority commodities, particularly canola, which constitutes Pakistan’s major agricultural import from Canada," it continued. "He highlighted that Pakistan seeks robust and timely certification and registration processes to facilitate predictable canola imports."
"The Minister emphasized that Pakistan is eager to strengthen its halal export footprint in Canada and sought CFIA’s [Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s] support in accelerating certification procedures for halal gelatin, casings, and value-added poultry," it added.
High Commissioner Khan acknowledged Pakistan’s concerns, the statement said, and assured Hussain of Ottawa’s readiness to deepen technical collaboration.
He also briefed the minister on Canada’s pest management systems and grain supply chain controls, adding that his country looked forward to facilitating Pakistan’s plant protection team during an upcoming systems-verification visit.
Khan also invited Pakistani officials to the Canada Crops Convention in April 2026 and confirmed participation in the Pakistan Edible Oil Conference, reaffirming that “Canada views Pakistan as a priority partner in the region.”
Hussain proposed forming a joint working group to maintain momentum on technical discussions and regulatory issues as both officials agreed to strengthen agricultural cooperation.
