![]() This listing assumes the reader is viewing the information on that day. To really understand these listings, you have to take the time of the rising and setting of the Sun into account for this specific location.ĭecember 27, 2019, was a Friday. Here are the basics of our observing information:Īccording to our date and location, we have the opportunity to see planets at the following times:įirst, you may wonder what the terms “from” and “until” mean. Let’s use an example from to explore how we can use the information provided to us to find the planet we’re looking for. I Know What Planet(s) I Can View Tonight-But How Do I Know Where To Look? Using the resources above, you can plug in the date you’ll be observing as well as your location to get a list of which planets are visible in your area, at what times, and their location in the sky. To get started, you can enlist the help of one of the following online resources that help you know what’s visible in your sky tonight. It’s also important to note that you may not necessarily be able to see all five planets at the same time or in one night. As previously mentioned, this will vary throughout the year and from year to year. Now that you know which planets are visible and what they might look like, you’ll need to know which planets are visible in your night sky. How To Know Which Planets Are Visible Tonight (We know, it’s called the Red Planet-what can we say? It’s orange.) Jupiter is a light tan color and Saturn is a yellow-ish tan color. Planets are also different colors! Mercury is white-ish in color and Venus is bright white. When a planet is closer to the horizon, you are looking through more air, and so the planet will appear dimmer than when it was higher up in the sky. When a planet is high above the horizon, you are looking through less air to see it. How close the planet is to the horizon also has a huge effect on how bright it appears. ![]() Several months into 2019 however, Earth had moved enough in its orbit that Mars was almost on the opposite side of the Sun-more than 200 million miles away! It was quite a bit dimmer at this point. In late July 2018, Mars was around 40 million miles from the Earth and appeared very bright orange in the early evening sky. Mars, on the other hand, can look quite different from one year to the next. They are far enough from Earth that if we are a little closer or farther away, it doesn’t affect their brightness all that much. The change in brightness for Jupiter and Saturn, for example, isn’t a huge amount. Depending on how far a planet is from the Earth, it might look brighter or dimmer in the sky as compared to another time. If you were out in space, neither planets or stars would twinkle at all! Why the difference? Stars are MUCH farther away from us than planets, so the beam of light from a star is affected more by passing through our atmosphere than the beam of light from a much closer planet. Planets don’t appear to twinkle much at all. When you observe a star, you’ll notice that it twinkles and the light may appear to change colors. Seen with the naked eye, planets and stars both appear as pinpoints of light. The easiest way to pick out planets is to remember this quick rule of thumb: stars twinkle and planets don’t. Planets move around the Sun at different rates and the Earth moves around the Sun, so the combination of these movements means we see planets in the night sky at different times each year. It is important to note that while we can see the brightest planets fairly regularly, there isn’t a single time in every year that is best for a particular planet. Of this list, Mercury can be the hardest one to spot… it is the closest planet to the Sun and is never seen too far from the Sun, so its low altitude and the glare of the rising or setting sun can make it hard to pick out.Īre Planets Visible At the Same Time Each Year? Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are the five brightest planets in our night sky and, therefore, observable by most people. The first step to identifying planets is to know which planets are possible to see without a telescope. What Planets Are Visible By the Naked Eye? Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered if a particularly bright star was actually a planet? It can be tricky business, but with some helpful tools to equip you, you’ll be identifying planets in no time! Follow this guide to figure out if what you’re looking at is a planet or a star.īefore we get started, we’re going to assume two things: first, that you’re not looking at the night sky with a telescope but rather with the naked eye, and second, that you’re in a place where your view isn’t blocked by large buildings, really tall trees, etc.
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