7 Planets in Our Solar System Will Be Visible This Week In The Night Sky
Ok, here’s where to look.
Jupiter and Saturn can be visible first thing at night, and will continue to do so until the end of the year. Saturn follows Jupiter westward across the sky until they disappear below the southwest horizon. If you have a telescope, try to catch them right at nightfall. This is when you have the best chance to view Jupiter’s four major moons and Saturn’s rings.
Mars has been the easiest to spot in the night sky with it’s peak brightness in October. As Earth and Mars with their differing orbits drift further away Mars will become harder to see towards the end of the year.
Venus is the brightest planet and is best viewed around 3 hours before sunrise.
Also viewable a few hours before sunrise is Mercury. Once you spot Venus look closer to the horizon to spot Mercury.
Uranus and Neptune are also overhead but invisible to the naked eye. Your best bet of spotting them will be on a clear night once the brightness of the Halloween full moon wears off.
I have an app on my phone I use for scanning the night sky which can locate planets even though I can’t actually see them. I’ve been able to easily find Neptune this way. If you want to go old school and spot the planets by charting, here’s your link:
