What planets are visible tonight?
See the planets in tonight's sky
Real positions for your location. Move the time slider to watch planets rise and set through the night.
Jupiter, Mars, Saturn are visible tonight without a telescope.
"Visible" means at least 5 degrees above the horizon after the end of evening twilight or before dawn. Lower magnitude means brighter: Venus is about -4, Jupiter -2, Saturn 0 to 1. Uranus and Neptune need binoculars or a telescope. Planet images: Solar System Scope (CC BY 4.0), lit at each planet's real phase.
Tips for seeing planets tonight
- Start after twilight. Bright planets such as Venus and Jupiter show as soon as the sky darkens; the rest need full darkness.
- Use the slider above to see where each planet will be later tonight. Planets low in the east are rising; low in the west they are setting.
- Binoculars help with Jupiter's four big moons, and a small telescope shows Saturn's rings.
See also the Moon tonight and is it a full moon tonight.
Questions people ask
What planets are visible tonight?
From New York tonight: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The answer changes with your location and the date, so set your city above for your own list.
How can I tell a planet from a star?
Planets usually shine with a steady light while stars twinkle, especially near the horizon. Planets also stay close to the path the Sun and Moon follow across the sky (the ecliptic).
What is the bright star in the west after sunset?
When it is very bright and low in the west after sunset, it is usually Venus (the "evening star"). When Venus is not in the evening sky, a bright one higher up is often Jupiter.
Can I see Uranus and Neptune without a telescope?
Uranus is just at the limit of what the eye can see under a very dark sky; binoculars make it easy. Neptune always needs binoculars or a telescope.
Why is Mercury so hard to see?
Mercury never gets far from the Sun, so it only shows low in the twilight just after sunset or before sunrise, for a few weeks at a time.