Planet finder

Identify Planets in Tonight’s Sky

Planets move against the background stars. Use these guides to understand what to look for, then open AR for sky orientation.

Planet guides

Learn how bright planets appear and when a current star map is most useful.

Start here if you are trying to identify a bright planet near the Moon or horizon.

Mercury is the hardest bright planet to catch because it never appears far from the Sun. The best chances are short windows low in twilight.

Venus is often the brightest planet visible from Earth. It appears near sunrise or sunset rather than in the middle of the night.

Mars can appear orange-red, but its brightness changes dramatically depending on where Earth and Mars are in their orbits.

Jupiter is one of the brightest planets and can dominate the night sky when well placed.

Saturn is usually dimmer than Venus or Jupiter but still visible to the unaided eye when well placed. It appears as a steady yellowish point.

Uranus is near the limit of naked-eye visibility under very dark skies. Most observers need binoculars and a precise sky map.

Neptune is too faint for naked-eye observing. It requires binoculars or a telescope, plus a reliable chart to separate it from stars.

Short answers for common skywatching questions before opening the AR viewer.

The guides cover Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, matching the planets calculated by the AR overlay.

A planet may be below your horizon, too close to the Sun, or too faint for naked-eye viewing from your location.

Bright planets often shine steadily and move slowly against constellations from night to night, while stars keep fixed patterns.

Compare the sky overlay with bright objects near the Moon, horizon, or nearby constellations.