More than 1,700 astronomy enthusiasts visited the roof deck of UP NISMED on the night of 28 February 2025 for Parada ng mga Planeta, a stargazing event celebrating the rare alignment of seven planets, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury, and Saturn.
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| Participants take turns looking through a telescope to observe the planet Jupiter up close. |
Although cloudy skies limited visibility, attendees were still able to observe Jupiter and Mars through telescopes—an exciting experience for many who had never observed these planets in detail before. A short lecture also accompanied the viewing, providing context about the parade of seven planets and emphasizing that while the planets seemed to form a line from our vantage point on Earth, they are actually scattered in space and not aligned when viewed from, say, above the Solar System.
The event, organized by the UP National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (NISMED), went beyond telescope viewing as participants also engaged in other hands-on astronomy-related activities. Guests peered through microscopes to observe samples of the mineral olivine and a rare meteorite rock, giving them glimpses of objects that may be found in outer space. Another crowd favorite was a wire loop game, where players guided a wand through a twisting metal path designed with seven obstacles representing the seven planets aligned that night.
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| Participants engage in hands-on astronomy activities apart from telescope viewing. |
The event reflected UP NISMED’s commitment to promoting science literacy and making astronomy more accessible to the public. For event highlights and photos, visit the UP NISMED Observatory Facebook page.
Stargazing sessions for schools are held regularly at the UP NISMED Observatory from January to March. For inquiries or requests, contact us at nismed.upd@up.edu.ph.
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