# What planets are visible tonight?

> What planets are visible tonight? See which planets are in the sky tonight where you are, live, how to tell a planet from a star, and where to look.

HTML: https://www.theuniversecounts.com/you/your-sky/planets-tonight

Numbers as of 2026-11-04 13:09 UTC. Live ones keep changing on the HTML page.

Which planets you can see tonight depends on where you are, the date and the hour. Planets rise and set at different times, and one that sits close to the Sun in our sky is lost in its glare. The live map below shows the sky over your place right now. The lines under it name the planets above your horizon and where to look. On most clear nights at least one bright planet is up. Right now Jupiter is 815 million kilometres from Earth, and the gap changes every second.

- Mercury's distance from Earth: 100,882,963 km
- Venus's distance from Earth: 43,160,970 km
- Mars's distance from Earth: 209,971,599 km
- Jupiter's distance from Earth: 814,663,161 km

## The planets your eyes can see

Which planets can I see tonight?

A planet is a world that circles the Sun, as Earth does. It makes no light of its own. What you see is sunlight bouncing off its clouds or rock. To the eye it looks like a star, a single point of light.

Five planets are bright enough to see without a telescope: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Astronomers measure brightness in magnitudes, and the scale runs backwards. The smaller the number, the brighter the light, and the brightest things have negative numbers. On a perfectly dark night, the eye can see stars down to a magnitude between 6 and 7. Under a city sky, only the brightest stars and planets show through.

Uranus sits right at the edge, at a magnitude between 5 and 6. Sharp eyes can catch it under a dark sky, if they know exactly where to look. Even so, nobody knew it was a planet until William Herschel found it with a telescope in 1781. Neptune, at between 8 and 8, is always too faint for the eye.

## Is that bright star a planet?

Planet or star?

Three clues give a planet away. The first is brightness. At its brightest, Venus reaches magnitude -4.92, and after the Sun and the Moon nothing in the sky outshines it. Jupiter reaches -2.94, and Mars, at its very best, the same. Venus and Jupiter are always brighter than Sirius, the brightest star of the night. Mars beats it only around its close approaches. Saturn, with its rings, reaches -0.55, brighter than most of the stars you can see. Mercury can reach -2.43, but it is at its brightest when it is too close to the Sun to see.

The second clue is the twinkle. A star is so far away that its light arrives as a single point. Pockets of moving air bend that point back and forth, and it twinkles. A planet is a small disc, too small for the eye to see as one, but wide enough that the wobbles average out. So planets usually shine with a steady light.

The third clue is the place. Planets keep to one band across the sky, the path the Sun follows. A brilliant, steady light on that path is very likely a planet.

## Why the planets wander along one line

The ecliptic

The stars keep their patterns for lifetimes. The planets don't. Night by night they creep across the constellations, which is how they got their name: "planet" comes from the Greek word for wanderer.

Each planet moves along its own orbit round the Sun, and so does Earth. The farther out a planet is, the slower it goes. Jupiter takes 11.862 years to go round once, so from one year to the next it moves on only a little among the stars. Saturn, slower still, takes 29.447 years.

All the planets circle the Sun in nearly the same flat plane, and we look at that plane from inside it, edge-on. So from Earth they always appear along one line or gentle arc across the sky, the ecliptic. It is also the path the Sun follows through the stars over a year, and the Moon stays close to it. From Europe or North America, that path crosses the southern half of the sky. From the southern hemisphere, outside the tropics, it crosses the northern half.

## Morning stars and evening stars

Venus and Mercury

Mercury and Venus circle the Sun inside Earth's orbit, so from here we never see them far from it. At its farthest from the Sun in our sky, its greatest elongation, Venus stands between 45 and 47 degrees away. Mercury gets only between 18 and 28 degrees from the Sun.

That is why you never find either of them in the middle of the night. When one is east of the Sun, it sets after the Sun and shines low in the west after sunset: an evening star. When it is west of the Sun, it rises first and shines low in the east before dawn: a morning star. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians watched Venus in both guises, and long thought it was two different objects.

Venus is the easiest planet of all to find. It stays well placed for a couple of months at a time, a brilliant steady light in the twilight. Mercury is the hardest. It shows itself for a couple of weeks at most, sometimes only days, low in the glow after sunset or before sunrise.

## Up all night, or gone for weeks

Opposition and conjunction

Mars, Jupiter and Saturn circle the Sun outside Earth's orbit. So they can be anywhere along the ecliptic, even opposite the Sun. When Earth passes between the Sun and one of them, the planet rises as the Sun sets and is up all night. It is also at its closest and brightest. Astronomers call this opposition. Jupiter's next close approach to Earth, around the time it stands opposite the Sun, comes on 10 February 2027.

Months later the picture is reversed. The planet is on the far side of the Sun, and for some weeks it is lost in the Sun's glare. Then it reappears low in the dawn sky, rises a little earlier each morning, and the cycle starts again.

Each planet keeps its own rhythm. Jupiter's best nights come back every 399 days, and Saturn's every 378, so each year they come a little later on the calendar. Mars needs 780 days. In some years it rivals Jupiter, and in others it is a faint reddish dot.

Comparisons are computed live on the HTML page.

## The same lights over everyone

Looking up together

The light you see from a planet has made two journeys. It left the Sun, crossed to the planet, bounced off its clouds and crossed back to you. The sunlight reaching your eye from Jupiter tonight left the planet about 45 minutes earlier.

Everyone on the night side of Earth sees the same planets, strung along the same line. Some see them higher, some lower, some earlier in the evening and some later. The ancient Romans named the five they could see after their most important gods, and we still use those names.

There is one planet you will never find in the night sky, because you are standing on it. Earth carries you along the same flat plane as all the others, round the same Sun. When you look at Jupiter or Venus, you are looking across our shared neighbourhood at a fellow traveller.

## FAQ

### What is the very bright star in the sky tonight?

If it is brilliant, steady and near the path of the Sun, it is most likely Venus or Jupiter. Venus can reach magnitude -4.92 and Jupiter -2.94, brighter than any star. Venus only ever shows in the west after sunset or in the east before sunrise. A bright light high in a fully dark sky, late at night, is more likely Jupiter. The map above names the planets that are up for you.

### How can you tell Venus from Jupiter?

Look at the time and the direction. Venus never gets more than about 47 degrees from the Sun, so it only appears in twilight, low in the west or the east. Jupiter can be anywhere along the Sun's path, even due south at midnight. When both are up together, Venus is clearly the brighter of the two.

### Which planets can I see tonight without a telescope?

Up to five: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, though rarely all on the same night. Which ones are up depends on where each planet is on its orbit, so the list changes over weeks and months. Uranus, at between 5 and 6, is only just within reach of sharp eyes under a dark sky. Neptune always needs a telescope.

### What planets are visible tonight from my location?

The map at the top of this page is drawn for where you are, at this minute. The lines under it name the planets above your horizon. Everyone on Earth sees the same planets, but not at the same height or hour. Mercury never gets more than about 28 degrees from the Sun, and Venus never more than about 47. So both show only in twilight, wherever you live.

### Can you see planets from a city?

Yes. Venus and Jupiter are bright enough to shine through almost any city sky, and so are Mars near its best and, usually, Saturn. In a city the eye may see only stars far brighter than the dark-sky limit of between 6 and 7, so faint Uranus is out of reach. A steady light that stands out over the streetlights is often a planet.

## Related

- [Where are the planets right now?](https://www.theuniversecounts.com/solar-system/planets/where-are-the-planets.md)
- [The night sky tonight](https://www.theuniversecounts.com/you/your-sky/star-map.md)

Some of these worlds are above your horizon tonight, or will be before dawn. Which one will you go out and find first?

## Sources

- Average time between Jupiter's close approaches to Earth (synodic period) (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Jupiter Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html)
- Average time between Mars's close approaches to Earth (synodic period) (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Mars Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html)
- Average time between Saturn's close approaches to Earth (synodic period) (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Saturn Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/saturnfact.html)
- Diameter of a grain of sand (Estimated): [USGS: USGS Open-File Report 2006-1195: Nomenclature](https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1195/htmldocs/nomenclature.htm)
- Diameter of a regulation football (size 5) (Measured, with error): [The IFAB: Laws of the Game, Law 2 – The Ball](https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/the-ball/)
- Earth's average distance from the Sun in kilometres (Measured): [NASA: Earth: Facts](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/)
- Earth's diameter at the equator (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Earth Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html)
- Faintest star the eye can see in a perfectly dark sky (naked-eye limiting magnitude) (Estimated): [NASA Science (Night Sky Network): Check Your Sky Quality with Orion!](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/night-sky-network/check-your-sky-quality-with-orion/); [NASA GSFC, Imagine the Universe!: Ask an Astrophysicist: The Night Sky](https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/ask_astro/night_sky.html)
- Jupiter's average distance from the Sun (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Jupiter Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html)
- Jupiter's brightness at its brightest, seen from Earth (apparent magnitude) (Measured, with error): [Astronomy and Computing (Elsevier); preprint on arXiv: Computing apparent planetary magnitudes for The Astronomical Almanac (Mallama & Hilton 2018, Astronomy and Computing 25, 10-24, doi:10.1016/j.ascom.2018.08.002)](https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.01973); [NASA NSSDCA: Jupiter Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html)
- Jupiter's diameter at the equator (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Jupiter Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html)
- Jupiter's distance from Earth (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Jupiter Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html)
- Length of a solar day on Earth (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Earth Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html)
- Length of a year on Jupiter (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Jupiter Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html)
- Length of a year on Saturn (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Saturn Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/saturnfact.html)
- Length of Earth's orbit around the Sun (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Earth Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html)
- Mars's distance from Earth (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Mars Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html)
- Mercury's brightness at its brightest, seen from Earth (apparent magnitude) (Measured, with error): [Astronomy and Computing (Elsevier); preprint on arXiv: Computing apparent planetary magnitudes for The Astronomical Almanac (Mallama & Hilton 2018, Astronomy and Computing 25, 10-24, doi:10.1016/j.ascom.2018.08.002)](https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.01973); [NASA NSSDCA: Mercury Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/mercuryfact.html)
- Mercury's distance from Earth (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Mercury Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/mercuryfact.html)
- Mercury's largest angle from the Sun in our sky (greatest elongation), 2026 to 2035 (Measured): [NASA JPL: JPL Horizons observer ephemeris for Mercury, solar elongation, 2026-2035](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/api/horizons.api?format=text&COMMAND='199'&OBJ_DATA='NO'&MAKE_EPHEM='YES'&EPHEM_TYPE='OBSERVER'&CENTER='500@399'&START_TIME='2026-01-01'&STOP_TIME='2036-01-01'&STEP_SIZE='1d'&QUANTITIES='9,23'&CSV_FORMAT='YES')
- Neptune's brightness seen from Earth (apparent magnitude) (Measured, with error): [Astronomy and Computing (Elsevier); preprint on arXiv: Computing apparent planetary magnitudes for The Astronomical Almanac (Mallama & Hilton 2018, Astronomy and Computing 25, 10-24, doi:10.1016/j.ascom.2018.08.002)](https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.01973); [NASA NSSDCA: Neptune Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/neptunefact.html); [NASA Science: Neptune: Facts](https://science.nasa.gov/neptune/facts/)
- Saturn's brightness at its brightest, seen from Earth (apparent magnitude) (Measured, with error): [Astronomy and Computing (Elsevier); preprint on arXiv: Computing apparent planetary magnitudes for The Astronomical Almanac (Mallama & Hilton 2018, Astronomy and Computing 25, 10-24, doi:10.1016/j.ascom.2018.08.002)](https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.01973); [NASA NSSDCA: Saturn Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/saturnfact.html)
- Saturn's distance from Earth (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Saturn Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/saturnfact.html)
- Speed of light in a vacuum (Measured): [BIPM: SI defining constants](https://www.bipm.org/en/measurement-units/si-defining-constants)
- The International Space Station's orbital speed (Measured): [NASA: Station Facts](https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-facts-and-figures/)
- The Moon's average distance from Earth (Measured): [NASA: Moon Facts](https://science.nasa.gov/moon/facts/)
- The Moon's mean diameter (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Moon Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html)
- The Sun's mean diameter (Measured, with error): [NASA NSSDCA: Sun Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/sunfact.html); [International Astronomical Union / The Astronomical Journal: Prša et al. 2016, IAU 2015 Resolution B3 on Recommended Nominal Conversion Constants for Selected Solar and Planetary Properties](https://arxiv.org/abs/1510.07674)
- Time until Jupiter's next close approach to Earth (Measured): [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ): ほしぞら情報 2027年2月](https://www.nao.ac.jp/astro/sky/2027/02.html)
- Typical cruising speed of a long-haul airliner (Estimated): [EUROCONTROL: Aircraft Performance Database: B789 (Boeing 787-9)](https://contentzone.eurocontrol.int/aircraftperformance/details.aspx?ICAO=B789); [EUROCONTROL: Aircraft Performance Database: A388 (Airbus A380-800)](https://contentzone.eurocontrol.int/aircraftperformance/details.aspx?ICAO=A388)
- Typical muzzle velocity of a rifle bullet (Estimated): [Headquarters, Department of the Army: FM 3-22.9 Rifle Marksmanship: M16A1, M16A2/3, M16A4, and M4 Carbine (April 2003)](https://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-us-archive/FM3-22.9%2803%29.pdf)
- Uranus's brightness seen from Earth (apparent magnitude) (Measured, with error): [Astronomy and Computing (Elsevier); preprint on arXiv: Computing apparent planetary magnitudes for The Astronomical Almanac (Mallama & Hilton 2018, Astronomy and Computing 25, 10-24, doi:10.1016/j.ascom.2018.08.002)](https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.01973); [NASA NSSDCA: Uranus Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/uranusfact.html); [NASA Science: Neptune: Facts](https://science.nasa.gov/neptune/facts/)
- Venus's brightness at its brightest, seen from Earth (apparent magnitude) (Measured, with error): [Astronomy and Computing (Elsevier); preprint on arXiv: Computing apparent planetary magnitudes for The Astronomical Almanac (Mallama & Hilton 2018, Astronomy and Computing 25, 10-24, doi:10.1016/j.ascom.2018.08.002)](https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.01973); [NASA NSSDCA: Venus Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/venusfact.html)
- Venus's distance from Earth (Measured): [NASA NSSDCA: Venus Fact Sheet](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/venusfact.html)
- Venus's largest angle from the Sun in our sky (greatest elongation), 2026 to 2035 (Measured): [NASA JPL: JPL Horizons observer ephemeris for Venus, solar elongation, 2026-2035](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/api/horizons.api?format=text&COMMAND='299'&OBJ_DATA='NO'&MAKE_EPHEM='YES'&EPHEM_TYPE='OBSERVER'&CENTER='500@399'&START_TIME='2026-01-01'&STOP_TIME='2036-01-01'&STEP_SIZE='1d'&QUANTITIES='9,23'&CSV_FORMAT='YES')