Sri Lanka will have optimal viewing conditions for a rare alignment of six planets and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower over the coming days, according to the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies.

A celestial event known as a "planet parade" will unfold across Sri Lankan skies beginning tomorrow, with six planets – Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – aligning in an arc visible from the eastern and southern horizon. The Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies confirms that the country's equatorial location provides particularly favourable conditions for observing this astronomical phenomenon.

Four of the planets will be visible without optical aid, though observers will need binoculars to see Uranus and a telescope for Neptune. Mars and Saturn should be relatively straightforward to locate, while Mercury and Jupiter will sit low on the eastern horizon and present a greater challenge. The optimal viewing window extends from approximately 4:30 a.m. to 5:15 a.m., roughly 60 to 90 minutes before sunrise in the Colombo area around 6 a.m.

Simultaneously, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak from the night of August 12 through the early hours of August 13. The shower originates from debris associated with comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, discovered in 1862, which completes an orbit around the sun every 133 years. This year's peak coincides with a new moon, creating darker skies that will enhance visibility. Under clear conditions, observers may witness up to 100 meteors per hour by looking toward the northeastern sky after midnight and allowing 20 to 30 minutes for their eyes to adjust to darkness.

The combination of these two astronomical events offers a rare opportunity for stargazing enthusiasts across the island during the coming nights.