SkyEye

The Calendar

The Solar System

The word planet is derived from the Greek word for 'wanderer'. Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars. Dwarf planets and small solar-system bodies, including comets, are not so constrained, often moving far above or below the ecliptic.

Sun Capricornus → Aquarius

Mercury Sagittarius → Capricornus → Aquarius

The smallest planet in the solar system is well-placed for viewing before sunrise, especially from southern latitudes. It vanishes into the dawn sky by the end of month as it heads towards superior conjunction with the Sun in March.

Venus Pisces

The evening star is at its brightest this year on 17 February. It is best seen from the northern hemisphere where it stays quite high above the western horizon but it is much lower as observed from southern latitudes and descending quickly as the month wears on.

Mars Pisces

For nothern hemipshere observers, the red planet sets about the same time mid-evening every night but it sets earlier and earlier for those viewing it from southern reaches.

Jupiter Virgo

The largest planet in the solar system rises between mid-evening and late evening hours, depending on your latitude, and comes up a little earlier every night.

Saturn Ophiuchus → Sagittarius

Saturn is a morning sky object, rising ever earlier ahead of the Sun.

Uranus Pisces

This green-coloured ice giant is getting increasingly difficult to see in the evening twilight as it approaches conjunction with the Sun in early April. Look for it in the west after sunset. It sets just as Jupiter rises.

Neptune Aquarius

At solar conjunction early next month, the most distant planet in the solar system is unobservable this month.