A Planet Sky Watching Guide for 2017: When, Where & How to See the Planets
Planets within our solar system can be observed. There is just exact time and place where they could be viewed at their best. This is your guide that would tell when, where, and how you can catch them. The order of this list is from nearest to the sun to the farthest.
Mercury can be seen setting in the western sky one hour after sunset during dawn it can be viewed in the eastern sky before the sun will rise. What description Mercury has? During the said times it can be easily noticed because it appears as a bright star (but it's a planet). Between March 23 and April 8 it could be viewed as the brightest star in evenings. Between September 6 and 20 it could be viewed as the brightest star in mornings. It looks yellowish in color. You can also see it from Jan 5 to Feb. 14 in mornings, March 23 to April 8 in evenings, April 29 to June 7 in mornings and July 5 to Aug 17 in evenings, Sept 6 to 20 in mornings, Nov 2 to Dec 4 in evenings and Dec 20 to Dec 31 in mornings.
According to Space News, Venus can be seen at dusks from Jan 1 to March 16 in the western sky and during dawns from April 3 through Nov 13 in the eastern sky. It always looks brilliant, shining, with steady silvery light. Using telescopes and binoculars Venus can be seen as a slender crescent from mid-Feb through early May. From Jan 30 through March 1 Venus is brightest in the evening sky. In Feb 17 its greatest brilliance can be observed. It is brightest in the morning sky from April 15 through May 14 with its greatest brilliance on April 30.
Mars can be seen in evenings from Jan 1 through June 6. In mornings it can be seen from Sept 11 through Dec 31. It looks yellow-orange but gloomy this year.
Jupiter can be spotted from Jan 1 to Apr 6 in mornings and from April 7 to Oct 6 in evenings. From Nov 13 to Dec 31 in mornings it can again be spotted. Its brightest this year is from March 28 to Apr 19. Jupiter also looks brilliant, with a silver-white luster.
Saturn can be seen from Jan 1 to June 14 in mornings and June 15 to Dec 4 in evenings. Its brightest is from June 12 to June 17. It looks like yellowish-white star with moderate brilliance. Saturn's rings this year are observable and are at their maximum tilt toward earth.
Uranus can be seen from Jan 1 to Mar 29 in evenings and from April 30 to Oct 18 in mornings and from Oct 19 to Dec 31 in evenings again. Its brightest is from Aug 27 to Dec 7. It could be identified with binoculars. With the use of small telescope it can be viewed as tiny greenish disk.
Neptune can be seen with the use of stargazing binoculars or telescopes from Jan 1 to Feb 15 in evenings, from March 18 to Sept 4 in mornings, and Sept 5 to Dec 31 in evenings again. Its brightest this year is from July 13 to Oct 28. Neptune can be located on the evening of Jan 12 by using Venus location, when Venus is positioned less than 0.4 degrees to the upper right of Neptune, as Earth Sky reported.
It's always wonderful to gaze these planets and be thankful that we live in the only hospitable and blue planet Earth.
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