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When should I look for the Planets?
Home » Astronomy » Observing the Planets » When should I look for the Planets?Mercury is usually in the evening sky three times a year, and three times in the morning. The best time to see Mercury is just after sunset near the vernal equinox. Since it orbits the Sun in just 88 days, it moves fast! If you are able to see Mercury through a telescope, you can watch as it enters a slim crescent phase as it passes between us and the Sun—just like our Moon!
Another planet that goes through phases is inner Venus. Orbiting the Sun every 244 days, we see Venus for months at a time instead of just days. It will appear in the evening for about six weeks as it comes out from behind the Sun, growing higher and brighter each night until it reaches a point between the Earth and Sun...and becoming a crescent in the telescope! A week or two later it will appear just before the Sun rises. It stays there for about 9 months until it once again returns to the evening.
Mars’ viewing year begins when it first makes its appearance in the morning on the opposite side of our solar system. There it stays until we begin to catch up with it and it rises earlier each day. As the cycle continues, it’s not long until Mars reaches opposition, meaning it (or any outer planet) rises as the Sun sets. As we pass, it becomes brighter and larger.
Next up is Jupiter—orbiting the Sun once every twelve years. Jupiter is visible most of the year, beginning in the morning until sidereal time carries it to the early evening hours. With a much slower orbit of 30 years, graceful old Saturn will be viewable much of the year as well—shuttling slowly along the ecliptic plane. Far away Uranus and Neptune and Pluto can viewed whenever their respective constellations are visible.
Following the clockwork precision of the planets along the ecliptic plane and keeping track of their positions will help you understand just how our solar system moves!
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