A photograph showing the sun and the moon aligning with planets in the sky is being shared on social media, where users claimed that the sight was spotted during the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela.
The claim: Those sharing the photo claimed that it was taken during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.
Some have specified that the picture was clicked on 29 January of this year.
How did we find out the truth?: We ran a reverse image search on the viral photo, which led us to a Facebook post shared on 23 January. The post credited the image to one Ren Theelen.
We looked up this name on Google, which led us to a photographer's Instagram page with the same name.
This account shared several photographs featuring landscapes and skyscapes, including the photo in the claim.
It had shared the now-viral photo on 28 April 2022, as one taken at Australia's Drakesbrook Weir.
Theleen also shared the same photo on his Facebook page and Flickr account on the same day in April 2022.
Did celestial bodies recently align?: Yes, several planets were visible to the naked eye in January.
However, it did not happen as a 'rare planetary parade' on 29 January as some social media users claimed.
Among those visible, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Saturn were the brightest and could be spotted in the night sky throughout January 2025, as mentioned on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) website.
Conclusion: An old photo has gone viral with the false claim that it shows rare planetary alignment which occurred during the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.
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