Are there specific months certain planets are more visible? ie.Saturn-better in January than December?

Question

Completely new to telescope viewing so please don't laugh, but are certain planets easier to view (clearer) depending on the month? i.e., due to it's location on the horizon, etc.

For instance, due to houses and trees in the way certain parts of the horizon are difficult to see, so I'm wondering depending on the earth's rotation or axis (not sure using right words here) that Saturn may be further from the horizon and more center sky during certain months than others.

We live in CT - so northeast hemisphere?

Answer 1

You're on the right track. Yes, different planets are well placed for observing at different times of the year. The actual months that each planet is observable changes from year to year due to the fact that both the planets and the Earth are traveling around the sun at different speeds in different orbits.

The best time to view a planet is when it is highest in the sky (transiting) when you happen to be out with your telescope. All of the planets follow nearly the same path in the sky -- The same path the Sun follows. This path is called the ecliptic. So you are correct, they will be higher (and generally better placed) if they transit in the sky in the summer, and lower if they transit in the winter. But the sky is generally MUCH clearer in the winter, so it really kind of balances out.

Planets are also best viewed when they are closest to the Earth (because they are larger). For the superior planets, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto this is called opposition, and corresponds to when the planet is highest in the sky at Midnight. This is especially true for Mars, because it is MUCH larger at opposition than at any other time.

The inferior planets (closer to the sun), Venus and Mercury are in the daytime sky and have their dark sides towards us when they are closest, so can't be viewed. The best time to see them is when they are at their largest apparent angular separation from the sun. This happens several times per year for both Mercury and Venus. They will be crescent or gibbous shaped during this time.

Unfortunately, things are about as bad as they get right now (Late December 2006) if you like to look at planets. Almost nothing is in a good location.

The reason for this is because for half of every year each planet is on the far side of its orbit (as viewed from Earth) and is therefore in the daytime sky and is not generally visible. This is the case right now for almost all of the planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto (yeah yeah, I know, it isn't a planet anymore).

Saturn is visible in the early morning hours between 3:30am EST and sunrise and is your best bet. It will be best a couple of hours before sunrise.
Uranus is visible in the early evening between sunset and 10pm EST.
Neptune is very low after sunset and probably can't be seen.

Things will get better in a few months. The inner planets move very quickly. My favorite planets to view are Jupiter and Saturn and their moons. Jupiter is best in the summertime right now unfortunately.

You should subscribe to an astronomy magazine like Sky&Telescope which has observing sections that tell you what objects are up when. Astronomy programs can tell you the same thing.

Answer 2

The answer for Mars, Jupiter and Saturn is No. For Venus and Mercury, though, Yes.

For the outer planets (including Uranus and Neptune, if you can spot them; and of course no one with a back yard telescope could see Pluto anyway, so it's just as well that it's been declassified as a planet), height in the sky depends on which constellation the planet happens to be traveling through.

Saturn now is in Leo, a northern constellation, so it rises in mid-evening right now (end of December 2006). In the wee hours of the morning, it's at its height, about 2/3 of the way up to the zenith.

In about three months, Saturn will be at its high point in early evening. Then by summer it will have moved toward the western horizon so that it sets shortly after sunset.

You'll get your best views of Jupiter on late summer evenings in 2007 (or the wee hours of spring) in the Scorpion, a southern constellation. In 2007, it's less well placed for a telescope than Saturn, but still easy to view.

Mars will be at its best around Christmas 2007. Right now it's still too close to the sun even to glimpse unless you know exactly where to look.

For all these planets, there are no fixed seasons when the viewing is best. It just depends on where the planet happens to be in the sky.

Venus and Mercury are different. They're best seen in evenings of late winter and early spring, or in the early morning during late summer and early autumn, IF the planet happens to be an evening or morning star, respectively, at that time. Late winter/early spring are the seasons when these two can reach their maximum height in the sky, in the evening (and in the late summer/early autumn in the early mornings).

By luck, late winter and early spring 2007 will be the best time for spotting Venus (for Northern Hemisphere observers). Look to the west about a half-hour after sunset now, and you'll see Venus starting to come into view. Right now it's not good with a telescope, but in about a month or so, it will be well-placed for your back yard instrument.

Mercury is more elusive, but in the early part of February 2007 (in the Northern Hemisphere) you'll get your best chance to see it.

Answer 3

it depends on which hemispere you're in. okay so you live in the northern hemisphere. now i assume you mean viewing planets and not 'stars". there are many stars in the universe but few known planets, fortunately our solar system has relatively speaking a lot of planets. it actually depends not only on the hemisphere but the earth years as you know different planets have different times that they take to make a trip around the sun. this is best accessed by an astronomical calendar where all this is computed for you. you can go to www.stardate.org and access a viewing calendar by month of what is viewable with your telescope. in general winter air is clearer, due to rains, etc, so the winter months tend to be the best in the northern hemisphere, although nearby light is the biggest hinderance to viewing. you can also purchase a sky almanac for the calendar year to show you whats viewable by month. good luck!!

Answer 4

i'm a January Capricorn too so i think you and that i might get alongside effective. yet in all seriousness i do seem to get alongside extra helpful with January caps than December. December caps in my case each and every so often sounds like a completely distinctive sign i've got had actual fights with a pair of them.and it is humorous because of the fact each and every so often I even have clashes with Capricorns in maximum situations too merely because of the fact noticeably whilst it comprises team artwork at college i intend to make all the important judgements yet so does the different Capricorn so we virtually continually finally end up arguing.

Answer 5

I would suggest that you purchase SKY AND TELESCOPE magazine or search on google to see if they have a web site. My husband also has a sky globe downloaded on our computer that give the placement of stars in any given season.

Answer 6

i belive, but i could be wrong, that in the winter jupiter is very visible and so is orions belt and u can see a i think its a nebula, in orions belt in the winter, venus is close enough that u can see it any time and mars is very visible too but dont remeber what season it is that its at its closets point to earth