Have you ever tried to identify a planet with the naked eye? Did you think you could only see the planets with a telescope?

As most of us think that seeing planets is possible only with a telescope, there are some planets that can be seen with the naked eye!

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are the brightest planets and can be easily seen yourself most of the time, except for short periods when they are too close to the Sun to observe.

It may be hard to recognize a planet, but there is one simple rule you should remember: stars twinkle, and planets don’t. Planets and stars both appear as spots of light but if you’re watching a star, you will notice that it sparkles, and the light of the star will change colors! Planets do not twinkle at all.

The best time to look for the planets is about 45 minutes before sunrise. Look at the sky near where the sun will rise, and you’ll be able to see Venus. This planet is very bright, and it is impossible to not recognize it.

If you want to spot Mercury, after finding Venus, look at the lower left and you’ll see another planet – Mercury. As Mercury is close to Venus, it is easy to identify this planet too!

Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter can be found in an arc to the right of Venus. If you find Venus, find an arc, and first, you’ll see Saturn. Close to Saturn, you’ll see Mars and at the very end of an arc, at the lower point, you’ll see Jupiter.

At the start, it may be hard to easily identify any planet with the naked eye but pick the right spot and time to watch the sky, and one day you’ll be able to identify those planets from everywhere!