Inner Planets

Observing planets is a great way to get started with backyard astronomy. Planets are easy to spot among stars for several reasons. First, they don’t flicker which makes them easier to spot among hundreds of flickering stars. Second, planets change their position in the sky that is relative to their orbit and not the seasons. Since planets don’t follow the same path through the sky as stars do, it is easier to spot them over a longer period of time as well. The first and easiest planet to spot is Venus. Venus is also known as the “Morning Star”

Venus Rising | NASA

because during sunrise, Venus shines bright and is easily spotted by the horizon. During the evening once the Sun has set, Venus becomes even easier to spot; it is one of the brightest celestial objects in the sky and easy to differentiate from a star since it does not flicker. The warm yellow/white glow that the planet gives off is due to the thick cloud cover that reflects a lot of light from the Sun. Next time you’re outside early in the morning or in the evening, be on the lookout for Venus!

Another planet that is easy to spot without a telescope is Mars. The deep red color of the planet’s surface makes it stand out against other objects in the sky. While there are red stars that can be seen with the naked eye, this planet also stands out since the red light is not flickering. The color of this planet is a deep, deep red that doesn’t look the same as the red light given off by stars. Mars has two moons–Phobos and Deimos–these translate to ‘fear’ and ‘terror’, respectively. In Greek mythology, they were the sons of the god of war, Ares.

MAVEN Mission to Investigate How Sun Steals Martian ...

While Mercury is also an inner rocky planet like our neighbors Venus and Mars, this planet is a bit trickier to spot. Mercury orbits the Sun closely and at a fast pace; its year is just 88 Earth-days long! But, if you know where to look and the viewing conditions are good, you’ll be sure to find it. Like Venus, Mercury will be close to the horizon, and the best times to spot this planet are during sunrise and sunset. This is because it’s still dark enough outside to see the light that the planet is reflecting, and the planet will be high enough in the sky to be able to see with the naked eye.

There are now lots of cellphone apps that can help you begin your backyard astronomy journey as well. If you’re starting to get more serious, there are applications that you can get for your computer too. Looking at the inner planets is a great way to get started with learning how to observe things in space, and learning the basics of astronomy. If you want to learn more about observing, and astronomy in general, make sure to come to our open houses!

 

Image citations:

Mars: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/news/confirmation.html

Venus: https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1836.html