Planets galore!

This week is an excellent opportunity to see all the five “naked eye” planets in one night of observation.

You need to start about an hour after sunset by looking relatively low on the western horizon, you should be able to make out both Mercury and Venus, Mercury being the lower and fainter of the pair. You then need to look almost directly above your head to spot Mars – with it’s reddish hue you shouldn’t miss it. Saturn can be found by looking towards the east (to your left); if you have a telescope take a look, even a small instrument should show the famous rings. For the final of the five planets, Jupiter, you need to wait until the morning and take a look low on the eastern horizon about an hour before sunrise.

As the month progresses there will be some interesting encounters to watch out for – Venus and the Pleiades, the Moon and Saturn, Mars and the Beehive………. So keep reading the blog for more information.