2011 Skywatching Guide: Planets in the Solar System

How to best observe the major planets of our Solar System. Some have worlds of
their own.
CREDIT:
The planets of our solar system are at tomes some of the most rewardin and simplest s!ywat"hin tarets
to spot# if you !now when and where to loo!. Here$s a loo! at how to observe the planets of the solar
system in %&'':
Tip: Astronomers measure distances in the sky in terms of degrees. For reference, your clenched fist held
at arm's length covers about 10 degrees of the night sky. The brightness of a planet or other obect in the
sky is measured as its !magnitude.! The lo"er an obect's magnitude, the brighter it appears, so obects
"ith negative signs in front of their magnitude numbers belo" are e#ceptionally bright.
Mercury
(er"ury is often a diffi"ult planet to find# but there are "ertain short periods ea"h year when it "an be seen
with the na!ed eye with little effort# either just after sunset or before sunrise. )Inforaphi": (er"ury#
"losest to the sun*
In %&''# +orthern Hemisphere observers will two periods when (er"ury "an easily be lo"ated. Durin the
se"ond half of (ar"h# (er"ury "an be seen low in the west,northwest soon after sunset. Durin early
September# (er"ury "an be seen low in the east,northeast -ust before sunrise.
Southern Hemisphere observers will find (er"ury well pla"ed in the mornin s!y durin early (ay# in
the evenin s!y in late -uly# and in the evenin s!y in mid,+ovember.
Date Event Derees from
Sun
(anitude +. Hemisphere S. Hemisphere .isibility
-anuary / 0reatest
Elonation
1est
%2 3&.2 4oor 0ood (ornin
5ebruary %6 Superior
Conjun"tion

(ar"h %2 0reatest
Elonation
East
'/ 3&.% E7"ellent 4oor Evenin
8pril / Inferior
Conjun"tion

(ay 9 0reatest
Elonation
1est
%9 :&.; 4oor E7"ellent (ornin
-une '2 Superior
Conjun"tion

-uly %& 0reatest
Elonation
East
%9 :&.2 5air E7"ellent Evenin
8uust '9 Inferior
Conjun"tion

September 2 0reatest
Elonation
1est
'< 3&.% E7"ellent 4oor (ornin
September
%<
Superior
Conjun"tion

+ovember
';
0reatest
Elonation
East
%2 3&.2 4oor E7"ellent Evenin
De"ember ; Inferior
Conjun"tion

De"ember
%2
0reatest
Elonation
1est
%% 3&.; 0ood 0ood (ornin
Venus
%&'' is not a very ood year for observin .enus. It spends most of its time in the mornin s!y or on the
far side of the sun. )Inforaphi": .enus unveiled*
Date Event (anitude
-anuary < 0reatest Elonation 1est 3;.2
8uust '= Superior Conjun"tion 32.<
Mars
%&'' is also a poor year for observin (ars. It spends most of the year on the far side of the sun# and only
beins to et lare enouh to see any detail on it in the last few wee!s of the year. )Inforaphi": (ars# the
Red 4lanet*
Date Event (anitude
5ebruary ; Conjun"tion :'.'
Jupiter
-upiter spends the first part of the year in the "onstellation 4is"es# e7"ept for a brief in"ursion into the
"onstellation Cetus from 5ebruary %; to (ar"h <. )Inforaphi": -upiter# larest planet in the solar system*
>et the astroloers ma!e of that what they will. It moves into 8ries on -une =. It moves ba"! into 4is"es
on De". 2. It is best viewed in the mornin s!y from -uly until the ?"t. %/ opposition# when it moves into
the evenin s!y for the rest of the year. The anular diameter at opposition will be ;/.= ar"se"onds.
@ino"ulars will show the four larest satellites. 8 small teles"ope will show one or two "loud bands a"ross
the visible surfa"e of the planet.
Date Event (anitude
8pril = Conjun"tion 3%.'
?"t. %/ ?pposition 3%./
Saturn
Saturn will spend all of the year in .iro. Saturn "an be viewed in the mornin s!y until 8pril ;# when it
moves into the evenin s!y. )Inforaphi": Saturn and its many rins*
5rom September to +ovember it will be behind the sun# reappearin in De"ember in the mornin s!y. The
rins will radually be openin over the year# ma!in them easy to see in any teles"ope manifyin more
than about 2&7.
SaturnAs larest moon Titan is readily visible in a small teles"ope# and several more moons may be seen in
larer teles"opes. 8t opposition# the planetAs anular diameter will be '/.2 ar" se"onds.
Date Event (anitude
8pril ; ?pposition &.;
?"t. '2 Conjun"tion &.9
Uranus
Branus spends all of %&'' in the southwestern part of 4is"es. It is best viewed in fall. It is in opposition on
September %=# when it moves from the mornin s!y into the evenin s!y. 8lthouh it may be seen with
the na!ed eye in a very dar! s!y# usually bino"ulars will be reCuired to ma!e it out. Its anular diameter is
less than ; ar"se"onds. )Inforaphi": Branus*
Date Event (anitude
(ar"h %' Conjun"tion 6./
Sept. %= ?pposition 6.9
eptune
+eptune starts out %&'' in Capri"ornus# but on -an. %2 it moves into 8Cuarius for the rest of the year. It is
best viewed durin the late summer and early fall. It is in opposition on 8u. %%# when it moves from the
mornin s!y into the evenin s!y. @ino"ulars or a small teles"ope will be reCuired to see it. The anular
diameter is about % ar"se"onds. )Inforaphi": +eptune Revealed*
Date Event (anitude
5eb. '9 Conjun"tion <.&
8u. %% ?pposition 9.<
Sour"e: R8SC ?bserverAs Handboo! %&'' and Starry +iht Software