If you can get out of bed early Sunday morning, get out and raise your head, you will be rewarded with a breathtaking view. Most of the planets in our solar system will be visible in the night sky. And you won’t even need a telescope to check them.
Look to the southwest and you will see Jupiter sinking with Saturn just above and to the right. Mars will be well above the southeast horizon, while to the northeast Venus, even near its brightest point, will also be easily detectable.
The most difficult planet to find will be Mercury. In New York, it will rise in the Northeast just 45 minutes before sunrise. To find out where and when to see it from your location, use this tool. Once you know where it is, you may be able to see it with the naked eye, but it will be much easier if you have a pair of binoculars as it will appear less bright than the other planets.
The sixth planet you can see? Earth, the planet you are currently on unless you are on the International Space Station, in which case you still have a great view.
Unfortunately, that means that Uranus and Neptune, the two planets furthest from the sun, are the only two that you won’t be able to see with the naked eye this weekend, but if you decide to take out the telescope, your children can say that you saw all the planets of the solar system in one night, which is a very good experience for a young stargazer.
Related Posts:
Here’s How You Can See FIVE Planets Without a Telescope This weekend it first appeared on Fatherly.
