{"id":48777,"date":"2023-08-30T12:45:07","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T12:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/55e72b0e-efe5-4100-a38b-0b517681b844"},"modified":"2023-08-30T13:32:38","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T13:32:38","slug":"how-to-find-planets-in-the-sky","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/how-to-find-planets-in-the-sky\/","title":{"rendered":"How to find planets in the sky"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spotting the Solar System planets isn’t as tricky as it sounds: you just have to know where to look. <\/p>

By Scott Levine\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 30 August 2023 at 12:45 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Have you ever wondered how to find planets in the sky? How can you tell if that bright point is a star or a planet?<\/p>

If you\u2019ve just started stargazing, it may seem hard to find and identify the Solar System\u2019s planets using your naked eye, without a planetarium to lend a hand, amidst all of the stars you can see.<\/p>

This is a useful skill to have, though, as it\u2019s not as difficult to master as it might seem, and it is even possible to see the planets without a telescope.<\/p>\n

Nicholas Amor captured this view of the Moon, Jupiter and Venus on 23 February from Stanningfield, Suffolk, UK. Equipment: Equipment: Lumix G9 and Lumix G Vario 7-14 lens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
But at the risk of pointing out something obvious, there aren\u2019t any labels on the sky.<\/p>
In this guide we’ll reveal top tips on how to find planets in the sky.<\/p>
For extra help on how to find planets in the sky, read our yearly guide on visible planets, month-by-month<\/a>.<\/p>
And if you’re really struggling, read our guide to the best smartphone astronomy apps<\/a>.<\/p>
How to find planets? Locate the ecliptic<\/h3>\n
$\"UK$
UK summer at 10pm: the ecliptic is low, at a shallow angle to the horizon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The first thing you need to do is find the ecliptic<\/a>, the imaginary line that marks the path the Sun takes across the sky.<\/p>
Since all of the Solar System\u2019s major planets orbit the Sun in roughly the same plane, the ecliptic also marks the path of the planets.<\/p>
You\u2019ll always find all of the planets near that line.<\/p>
Is it bright, but on the wrong side of the sky to the ecliptic? Then it can\u2019t be a planet.<\/p>
How to find the ecliptic<\/h3>\n
$\"UK$
UK winter at 10pm: the angle of the ecliptic is radically different \u2013 high and steep<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
To find the ecliptic, carefully make a note of the Sun as it crosses the sky.<\/p>
Pay attention to where it rises and sets, and where it is during the day.<\/p>
How high above the trees and the rooftops across the street is it, for example?<\/p>
Once you have a feel for the path the Sun travels on during the day, use your imagination to try to map its path onto the night-time sky.<\/p>
This is a good method to remember if you want to know how to find planets in the sky.<\/p>\n
$\"Moon,$
Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mars, 10 Oct 2015. Credit: Peter Louer, Tenerife.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Keep an eye on the Moon, too. Its orbit around Earth tilts by about 5\u00b0 compared to the ecliptic. That means the ecliptic is always within 5\u00b0 of the Moon.<\/p>
That\u2019s about the width of three of your fingers held up at the end of your outstretched arm.<\/p>
Finally, remember that the ecliptic does not remain in the same place year round.<\/p>
The Sun gets higher in the sky during the summer months than it does in the winter.<\/p>
How to find planets among stars<\/h3>\n
$\"5$
5 Planets Aligning by John Chumack, Warrenton, Virginia, USA. Equipment: Canon 6D, 8mm Fisheye Lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Once you know *roughly<\/i> where to look, you can work out which objects are planets.<\/p>*
*You know how a small tree outside your window looks bigger than a larger tree on a distant hillside?<\/p>*
*Planets look bigger than the much larger and much more distant stars.<\/p>*
*This apparent size difference gives them a subtle disc shape, which often becomes easier to see the more you look for it.<\/p>*
*Also, because their light comes to us from many points \u2013 not just one as starlight does \u2013 they usually don\u2019t appear to twinkle like stars<\/a>.<\/p>*
*Many planets have distinct hues; in some cases, they can shine much brighter than any star.<\/p>*
*Mercury and Venus are inferior planets<\/a>.<\/p>*
*That doesn\u2019t mean they are uninteresting, only that they orbit closer to the Sun than Earth does.<\/p>*
*From our perspective, they are always relatively close to the Sun in the sky.<\/p>*
*Venus is never more than 47\u00b0 away from it, which is about the width of five fists held out at arm\u2019s length.<\/p>\n*
$\"The$
The major orbital points of the inferior planets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Mercury is closer still, never more than 28\u00b0 away. This means they always rise shortly before the Sun or set shortly after it.<\/p>
They\u2019ll never soar high overhead late at night.<\/p>
Since Mercury is very small, speedy, and close to the Sun, it\u2019s particularly difficult to see.<\/p>
It\u2019s only visible for a short time, most often in glowing twilight<\/a>, so you\u2019ll need to be quick to spot it.<\/p>
As challenging as it is, Mercury is bright enough to stand boldly against skies too bright for most stars.<\/p>
If you see something yellowish staring back at you through the dawn or dusk, there\u2019s a chance it could be Mercury.<\/p>
Fellow inferior planet Venus is a stark contrast: a beautiful white colour and bright to the point of being unmistakable, its peak magnitude \u20134.4.<\/p>
The superior planets are those that orbit farther from the Sun than Earth. They\u2019re not \u2018tied\u2019 to the Sun from our perspective and can be anywhere along the ecliptic.<\/p>\n
$\"Mars$
Mars passing across the Beehive Cluster in October 2011, imaged through a f\/3.3 reflector. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Red-orange Mars (peak magnitude \u20132.9), whitish-orange Jupiter (mag. \u20132.9), and understated yellow Saturn (mag. +4.3) are all visible to the naked eye.<\/p>
Uranus and Neptune are not.<\/p>
Uranus has a magnitude of mag. +5.7, hovering on the threshold of naked-eye visibility.<\/p>
But you\u2019d need impeccable eyesight and pristine skies to stand a chance of spotting it.<\/p>
Neptune (mag. +7.8) is simply too dim to see without binoculars.<\/p>
All of this said, there are times when finding the planets isn\u2019t easy.<\/p>
For one thing, even the superior planets may not be above the horizon all night long.<\/p>
They can all disappear in the daylight sky, or may be stuck lingering just above the horizon.<\/p>\n
$\"Mercury$
Mercury and Venus close in the evening sky. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
From time to time, the planets are in conjunction with the Sun and are lost from view completely.<\/p>
Nor do all planets shine at their peak magnitudes at all times \u2013 that depends on where they are in their orbits.<\/p>
Superior planets tend to be brightest around opposition, when they are on the opposite side of the sky to the Sun.<\/p>
With the inferior planets, the situation is more complex.<\/p>
They are brightest in certain crescent phases, but set relatively soon after (or rise only briefly before) the Sun.<\/p>
The gap between the Sun setting or rising and Mercury\/Venus doing the same is greatest at the points of greatest elongation, but they are dimmer on these occasions.<\/p>\n
$\"The$
The major orbital points of the superior planets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
If you think you have found a planet, but you\u2019re really not sure, keep an eye on it for a few nights.<\/p>
Remember, the word planet comes from the Greek word for \u2018wanderer\u2019. All of the planets move, or wander, relative to the background stars.<\/p>
From night to night, you\u2019ll see them in a different position, but the stars themselves will stay fixed to each other.<\/p>
Of course, this effect is more pronounced the closer the planet is to Earth.<\/p>
Mars positively races across the sky compared to much more serene Saturn.<\/p>
But with a little bit of practice, you\u2019ll be able to find them. <\/p>
**This article originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n**
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Spotting the Solar System planets isn’t as tricky as it sounds: you just have to know where to look. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":48778,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"7"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/08\/how-to-find-planets-in-the-sky.jpg",1800,1273,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/08\/how-to-find-planets-in-the-sky-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/08\/how-to-find-planets-in-the-sky-300x212.jpg",300,212,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/08\/how-to-find-planets-in-the-sky-768x543.jpg",768,543,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/08\/how-to-find-planets-in-the-sky-1024x724.jpg",800,566,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/08\/how-to-find-planets-in-the-sky-1536x1086.jpg",1536,1086,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2023\/08\/how-to-find-planets-in-the-sky.jpg",1800,1273,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Spotting the Solar System planets isn't as tricky as it sounds: you just have to know where to look.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/48777"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

Nicholas Amor captured this view of the Moon, Jupiter and Venus on 23 February from Stanningfield, Suffolk, UK. Equipment: Equipment: Lumix G9 and Lumix G Vario 7-14 lens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
But at the risk of pointing out something obvious, there aren\u2019t any labels on the sky.<\/p>
In this guide we’ll reveal top tips on how to find planets in the sky.<\/p>
For extra help on how to find planets in the sky, read our yearly guide on visible planets, month-by-month<\/a>.<\/p>
And if you’re really struggling, read our guide to the best smartphone astronomy apps<\/a>.<\/p>
How to find planets? Locate the ecliptic<\/h3>\n
$\"UK$
UK summer at 10pm: the ecliptic is low, at a shallow angle to the horizon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The first thing you need to do is find the ecliptic<\/a>, the imaginary line that marks the path the Sun takes across the sky.<\/p>
Since all of the Solar System\u2019s major planets orbit the Sun in roughly the same plane, the ecliptic also marks the path of the planets.<\/p>
You\u2019ll always find all of the planets near that line.<\/p>
Is it bright, but on the wrong side of the sky to the ecliptic? Then it can\u2019t be a planet.<\/p>
How to find the ecliptic<\/h3>\n
$\"UK$
UK winter at 10pm: the angle of the ecliptic is radically different \u2013 high and steep<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
To find the ecliptic, carefully make a note of the Sun as it crosses the sky.<\/p>
Pay attention to where it rises and sets, and where it is during the day.<\/p>
How high above the trees and the rooftops across the street is it, for example?<\/p>
Once you have a feel for the path the Sun travels on during the day, use your imagination to try to map its path onto the night-time sky.<\/p>
This is a good method to remember if you want to know how to find planets in the sky.<\/p>\n
$\"Moon,$
Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mars, 10 Oct 2015. Credit: Peter Louer, Tenerife.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Keep an eye on the Moon, too. Its orbit around Earth tilts by about 5\u00b0 compared to the ecliptic. That means the ecliptic is always within 5\u00b0 of the Moon.<\/p>
That\u2019s about the width of three of your fingers held up at the end of your outstretched arm.<\/p>
Finally, remember that the ecliptic does not remain in the same place year round.<\/p>
The Sun gets higher in the sky during the summer months than it does in the winter.<\/p>
How to find planets among stars<\/h3>\n
$\"5$
5 Planets Aligning by John Chumack, Warrenton, Virginia, USA. Equipment: Canon 6D, 8mm Fisheye Lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Once you know *roughly<\/i> where to look, you can work out which objects are planets.<\/p>*
*You know how a small tree outside your window looks bigger than a larger tree on a distant hillside?<\/p>*
*Planets look bigger than the much larger and much more distant stars.<\/p>*
*This apparent size difference gives them a subtle disc shape, which often becomes easier to see the more you look for it.<\/p>*
*Also, because their light comes to us from many points \u2013 not just one as starlight does \u2013 they usually don\u2019t appear to twinkle like stars<\/a>.<\/p>*
*Many planets have distinct hues; in some cases, they can shine much brighter than any star.<\/p>*
*Mercury and Venus are inferior planets<\/a>.<\/p>*
*That doesn\u2019t mean they are uninteresting, only that they orbit closer to the Sun than Earth does.<\/p>*
*From our perspective, they are always relatively close to the Sun in the sky.<\/p>*
*Venus is never more than 47\u00b0 away from it, which is about the width of five fists held out at arm\u2019s length.<\/p>\n*
$\"The$
The major orbital points of the inferior planets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Mercury is closer still, never more than 28\u00b0 away. This means they always rise shortly before the Sun or set shortly after it.<\/p>
They\u2019ll never soar high overhead late at night.<\/p>
Since Mercury is very small, speedy, and close to the Sun, it\u2019s particularly difficult to see.<\/p>
It\u2019s only visible for a short time, most often in glowing twilight<\/a>, so you\u2019ll need to be quick to spot it.<\/p>
As challenging as it is, Mercury is bright enough to stand boldly against skies too bright for most stars.<\/p>
If you see something yellowish staring back at you through the dawn or dusk, there\u2019s a chance it could be Mercury.<\/p>
Fellow inferior planet Venus is a stark contrast: a beautiful white colour and bright to the point of being unmistakable, its peak magnitude \u20134.4.<\/p>
The superior planets are those that orbit farther from the Sun than Earth. They\u2019re not \u2018tied\u2019 to the Sun from our perspective and can be anywhere along the ecliptic.<\/p>\n
$\"Mars$
Mars passing across the Beehive Cluster in October 2011, imaged through a f\/3.3 reflector. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Red-orange Mars (peak magnitude \u20132.9), whitish-orange Jupiter (mag. \u20132.9), and understated yellow Saturn (mag. +4.3) are all visible to the naked eye.<\/p>
Uranus and Neptune are not.<\/p>
Uranus has a magnitude of mag. +5.7, hovering on the threshold of naked-eye visibility.<\/p>
But you\u2019d need impeccable eyesight and pristine skies to stand a chance of spotting it.<\/p>
Neptune (mag. +7.8) is simply too dim to see without binoculars.<\/p>
All of this said, there are times when finding the planets isn\u2019t easy.<\/p>
For one thing, even the superior planets may not be above the horizon all night long.<\/p>
They can all disappear in the daylight sky, or may be stuck lingering just above the horizon.<\/p>\n
$\"Mercury$
Mercury and Venus close in the evening sky. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
From time to time, the planets are in conjunction with the Sun and are lost from view completely.<\/p>
Nor do all planets shine at their peak magnitudes at all times \u2013 that depends on where they are in their orbits.<\/p>
Superior planets tend to be brightest around opposition, when they are on the opposite side of the sky to the Sun.<\/p>
With the inferior planets, the situation is more complex.<\/p>
They are brightest in certain crescent phases, but set relatively soon after (or rise only briefly before) the Sun.<\/p>
The gap between the Sun setting or rising and Mercury\/Venus doing the same is greatest at the points of greatest elongation, but they are dimmer on these occasions.<\/p>\n
$\"The$
The major orbital points of the superior planets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
If you think you have found a planet, but you\u2019re really not sure, keep an eye on it for a few nights.<\/p>
Remember, the word planet comes from the Greek word for \u2018wanderer\u2019. All of the planets move, or wander, relative to the background stars.<\/p>
From night to night, you\u2019ll see them in a different position, but the stars themselves will stay fixed to each other.<\/p>
Of course, this effect is more pronounced the closer the planet is to Earth.<\/p>
Mars positively races across the sky compared to much more serene Saturn.<\/p>
But with a little bit of practice, you\u2019ll be able to find them. <\/p>
**This article originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.<\/strong><\/em><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n**
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