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	Astrophotography Aurorae (Northern Lights) Configurations, Conjunctions and Oppositions Constellations and Asterisms Eclipses and Occultations Evening Star Full Moon Names Light Pollution Lunar Phases Meteor Showers Meteors and Meteorites Morning Star Skywatching Solstices and Equinoxes Star Catalogs and Charts

Mercury
The solar system's smallest planet flits back and forth from morning sky to evening sky several times a year. It never strays far from the Sun in our sky, so it's tough to find in the glare. From the northern hemisphere, it is visible in the morning sky this year in February and early March, June, and October. The late-year appearance is the best, because the planet will stand highest above the horizon. In the evening, Mercury is best seen in April and early May, August and early September, and December. The spring appearance is best.

Venus
Venus, the dazzling morning or evening star, outshines all the other stars and planets in the night sky. It begins the year in the evening sky, well up in the west as darkness begins to fall. It will disappear from view in late March as it passes between Earth and the Sun. It will return to view as a “morning star” by early April, and remain in the morning sky until December.

Mars
Mars climbs into view as a modest orange “star” quite low in the east or southeast at sunrise in late February. As the year progresses, it will pull farther away from the Sun and be visible for more of the night. By late in the year, it will in view for more than half of the night, and will outshine all but two planets and one star. Mars will stage beautiful encounters with Venus in mid-April and again in mid-July.

Jupiter
The largest planet in our solar system is a commanding presence for much of the year. It looks like an intensely bright cream-colored star, shining brighter than anything else in the night sky except the Moon and Venus. It climbs into view in the pre-dawn sky in February. It rises earlier as the months go by, and moves into the evening sky in late spring. Jupiter is at opposition in mid-August, when it appears brightest for the year and remains visible all night. Late in the year it is visible only in the evening sky, dropping lower each night.

Saturn
Saturn looks like a bright golden star. It spends the first eight months of the year in Leo, the lion, then moves into the neighboring constellation Virgo, the virgin. Saturn is at its best in early March, when it's closest to Earth. It disappears behind the Sun in late August, then returns to view in the morning sky in October.

Uranus
Although it's the third-largest planet in the solar system, it's so far from the Sun that you need binoculars to see it. It begins the year in the constellation Aquarius, then slides into Pisces in spring. It stages its best appearance in September.

Neptune
The fourth-largest planet in the solar system is so far away that you need a telescope to find it. Neptune is in the constellation Capricornus, and stages its best appearance in August.