Which Planets Can You See Tonight? (2024)

FAQs

What planet is bright in the sky tonight? ›

The bright planets Jupiter and Saturn are currently near on the sky's dome to the famous Teapot asterism. The center of our Milky Way galaxy is also located in this direction.

After the Moon, Venus is the brightest natural object in the night sky. It is both the Earth's closest neighbor in our Solar System and the planet most similar to Earth in size, gravity, and composition.

You may have seen a bright object next to the moon which is not a star but is in fact the planet Venus.

About 75 minutes before sunrise, Venus will be quite low in the east. To the upper right of the brilliant planet will be Mars, and to its upper right will be bright Jupiter. West of Jupiter, you'll see Saturn well up in the southeast.

The five brightest planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. So long as you know when and where to look you can spot all five of these spectacular planets, just as people have enjoyed doing since ancient times.

Jupiter and Saturn are bright, so they can be seen even from most cities. An hour after sunset, look to the southwestern sky. Jupiter will look like a bright star and be easily visible.

Jupiter appears as a bright, white disk to the naked eye. The planet's surface is covered in bands of clouds, which can be seen under very dark skies. Jupiter's Great Red Spot, a massive storm that has been raging for centuries, is also visible under very dark skies.

What is the brightest star in the sky tonight? ›

The brightest star in the night sky? You're right, it's Sirius (mag. -1.45), which coasts low above the southern horizon for most of us in the northern hemisphere during the cooler months. Sirius is so bright that it's not uncommon for people to mistake it for Jupiter (maximum mag.

Venus is so bright because its thick clouds reflect most of the sunlight that reaches it (about 70%) back into space, and because it is the closest planet to Earth. Venus can often be seen within a few hours after sunset or before sunrise as the brightest object in the sky (other than the moon).

Venus is currently in the constellation of Pisces. The current Right Ascension is 01h 51m 51s and the Declination is +10° 08' 31”.

Saturn is currently in the constellation of Aquarius. The current Right Ascension is 23h 11m 48s and the Declination is -07° 03' 34”.

Look for Jupiter and Uranus after sunset just below the Pleiades star cluster, and near the constellation Aries. Try a stargazing app, such as Starwalk or SkySafari, to aid your night-sky navigation.

However, spotting a planet with naked eye is more fun. Once you have positively identified each of them, you will be able to recognize them only by their brightness. Venus gets much brighter than Jupiter, and Jupiter is much brighter than any star. Only Mars rivals with Jupiter sometimes.

Sirius: The brightest star in Earth's night sky | Space.

By contrast, Jupiter is extraordinarily reflective because it is covered with clouds. Suspended crystals of methane and ammonia reflect the sun's light very efficiently, giving Jupiter has a respectable albedo of . 51. Just over half of the light it receives from the sun bounces back into space.