Download Finding the Planets - Star

Finding the Planets
Use the charts below to find the approximate location of a planet. If the month is
blank the planet is not easily visible. Compare the constellation’s stars you see in
the sky to the star charts on pages 10 and 11. The bright “star” that is not printed on
the star chart will be the planet. Look for Mercury and Venus near the horizon in
the morning about an hour before Sunrise (East) or in the evening about an hour
after Sunset (West). Look for Mercury a few days before or after the date listed.
Here is a tip: planets do not “twinkle”; stars do.
An easy to use monthly star chart showing constellations, planets and other objects
may be downloaded from www.skymaps.com
To make your own accurate sky charts and find the exact location of a planet on
any day from any location in the world, you can download the following free
planetarium software.
Cartes du Ciel: http://www.stargazing.net/astropc
Hallo Northern Sky: http://www.hnsky.org/software.htm
2009
FEB
13th Morn.
Evening
MAR
Leo
Leo
Leo
JUL
MERCURY
VENUS
MARS
JUPITER
SATURN
AUG
24th Eve.
Morning
Morning
Taurus
Taurus
Capricornus Capricornus
Leo
SEP
APR
26th Eve.
MAY
JUN
13th Morn.
Morning
Morning
Aries
Capricornus Capricornus Capricornus
Leo
Leo
Leo
OCT
6th Eve.
NOV
DEC
18th Eve.
Morning
Gemini
Cancer
Cancer
Leo
Capricornus Capricornus Capricornus Capricornus
Virgo
Virgo
2010
MERCURY
VENUS
MARS
JUPITER
SATURN
MERCURY
VENUS
MARS
JUPITER
SATURN
JAN
27th Morn.
FEB
MAR
Cancer
Aquarius
Virgo
Cancer
Evening
Cancer
APR
8th Eve.
Evening
Cancer
Virgo
Virgo
JUL
AUG
7th Eve.
Evening
Virgo
Pisces
Virgo
SEP
19th Morn.
Evening
Virgo
Pisces
Evening
Leo
Pisces
Virgo
JUN
Virgo
MAY
26th Morn.
Evening
Leo
Pisces
Virgo
OCT
NOV
DEC
1st Eve.
Morning
Libra
Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius
Virgo
Evening
Leo
Pisces
Virgo
From “The Sidewalk Astronomer”
http://www.rasc.ca/education/sidewalkastronomer.shtml
MERCURY
VENUS
MARS
JUPITER
SATURN
JAN
4th Eve.
Evening