The planets

The planets tonight, and what's coming

Five planets are easy to see without a telescope: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They look like bright stars that don't twinkle much, and they slowly change places against the stars from week to week.

Where they are now

Mercury: too close to the Sun to see right now (10° from it).
Venus: in the morning sky, in Virgo, magnitude -4.2. It looks like the brightest thing in the sky after the Moon, a brilliant white star.
Mars: in the morning sky, in Leo, magnitude 0.9. It looks like a red-orange star.
Jupiter: in the morning sky, in Leo, magnitude -2. It looks like a very bright cream-white star; binoculars show up to four of its moons.
Saturn: in the evening sky, in Cetus, magnitude 0.4. It looks like a steady yellow-white star; a small telescope shows the rings.

Lower magnitude is brighter: Venus is about -4, the brightest stars about 0.

From your city

Which planets are up after dusk and before dawn where you are, and where to look.

or pick a place:

Coming up

Nov 2, 2026: The Moon and Mars close together. 1° apart, in the morning sky.
Nov 2, 2026: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 0.5° apart, about the width of the full Moon, in the morning sky; from some places the Moon passes right in front of it.
Nov 7, 2026: The Moon and Venus close together. 1° apart, in the morning sky.
Nov 16, 2026: Mars and Jupiter close together. 1.2° apart, in the morning sky.
Nov 20, 2026: Mercury at its best in the morning sky. 20° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time.
Nov 30, 2026: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 1.1° apart, in the morning sky.
Nov 30, 2026: The Moon and Mars close together. 3° apart, in the morning sky.
Dec 27, 2026: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 1.4° apart, in the morning sky.
Jan 3, 2027: Venus at its best in the morning sky. 47° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time.
Jan 23, 2027: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 1.4° apart, in the morning sky.
Feb 3, 2027: Mercury at its best in the evening sky. 18° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time.
Feb 8, 2027: The Moon and Mercury close together. 0.3° apart, about the width of the full Moon, in the evening sky; from some places the Moon passes right in front of it.
Feb 11, 2027: Jupiter at opposition. Closest and brightest for the year, up all night (magnitude -2.6, in Leo).
Feb 19, 2027: Mars at opposition. Closest and brightest for the year, up all night (magnitude -1.2, in Leo).
Feb 20, 2027: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 1.1° apart, in the evening sky.
Mar 4, 2027: The Moon and Venus close together. 2° apart, in the morning sky.
Mar 6, 2027: The Moon and Mercury close together. 1.1° apart, in the morning sky.
Mar 17, 2027: Mercury at its best in the morning sky. 28° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time.
Mar 19, 2027: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 0.9° apart, less than two Moon widths, in the evening sky.
Apr 4, 2027: The Moon and Venus close together. 2.9° apart, in the morning sky.
Apr 15, 2027: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 0.9° apart, less than two Moon widths, in the evening sky.
Apr 15, 2027: The Moon and Mars close together. 3° apart, in the evening sky.
May 7, 2027: Venus and Saturn close together. 0.6° apart, less than two Moon widths, in the morning sky.
May 12, 2027: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 1.2° apart, in the evening sky.
May 13, 2027: The Moon and Mars close together. 3° apart, in the evening sky.
May 28, 2027: Mercury at its best in the evening sky. 23° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time.
Jun 6, 2027: The Moon and Mercury close together. 2.7° apart, in the evening sky.
Jun 9, 2027: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 1.7° apart, in the evening sky.
Jul 7, 2027: The Moon and Jupiter close together. 2.2° apart, in the evening sky.
Jul 15, 2027: Mercury at its best in the morning sky. 21° from the Sun, as far as it gets this time.

Pairings are as seen from the centre of the Earth; from your city the Moon can be up to a degree off. Everything coming up in the sky.