Explore – Observing the Sky – What’s in the Sky – Planets

Planets

When humans have looked up at the sky, they have always noticed five planets visible to the unaided eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

These “wanderers” were notable because they changed position relative to the background stars. Ancient peoples did not know what the planets were, but they knew they were significant. Today, we know these five planets, plus Uranus and Neptune (which can be seen through telescopes), and a host dwarf planets (like Pluto), moons, asteroids, comets, and the Sun and Earth all comprise our solar system. But the five “naked eye” planets (and our own Moon) still are most prominent in our nightly observing, and they are often featured objects in the Observatory’s public telescopes.

NASA's Eyes on the Solar System
Mercury Painting by Adolf Schaller, OmniCosm Studios (http://www.omnicosm.com/)

Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. This rocky world gets hotter than an oven and colder than a freezer. Its desolate surface is heavily cratered and split by cracks.

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Venus Painting by Adolf Schaller, OmniCosm Studios (http://www.omnicosm.com/)

Venus

Volcanic Venus is a place of crushing atmospheric pressure and broiling heat, one we cannot visit in person. Its desolate surface is hidden from our view by a blanket of clouds.

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Mars Painting by Adolf Schaller, OmniCosm Studios (http://www.omnicosm.com/)

Mars

Mars has places that look like Earth, yet it is very different from our world. The surface of this dry and dusty desert planet freezes beneath a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere.

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Jupiter Painting by Don Dixon, Cosmographica (https://www.cosmographica.com/)

Jupiter

Jupiter is a gas giant and the largest world in the solar system. High-speed winds shape its cloud layers and send huge whirling windstorms racing across the planet.

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Saturn Painting by Don Dixon, Cosmographica (https://www.cosmographica.com/)

Saturn

Particles of ice form a complex set of rings that circle gas giant Saturn. The planet belches clouds of ammonia ice crystals from deep within its atmosphere.

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Check the Observatory’s Sky Report for a weekly summary of where the planets are in the sky over Los Angeles.

For a chart showing the planets currently visible in the sky, check here. Note you can change the time and other settings to customize the chart. Times are in Universal Time (subtract 8 hours to convert from Universal Time to Pacific Standard Time).

Past Planet Observations
December 21, 2020

Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn, December, 21 2020

Jupiter and Saturn will appear in the evening sky very close to each other, at about one-fifth of the Moon's diameter apart.

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July 30, 2018

Mars Close Approach Public Viewing Event, July 2018

Griffith Observatory hosted several thousand people to view the closest approach by Mars in 15 years. The Observatory also hosted a live online broadcast which was carried by NASA.

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August 3, 2016

Visible Planet Line-up, August, 2016

This line-up of all five naked-eye planets was visible approximately 30 minutes after sunset (at the end of civil twilight), between August 3rd and August 24th 2016.

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Observatory Front Lawn
May 9, 2016

Transit of Mercury, May 9, 2016

Griffith Observatory broadcast the entire Transit of Mercury from 6:00 - 11:45 a.m. on May 9, 2016.

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January 23, 2016

Visible Planet Line-up, January – February, 2016

A line-up of all five bright planets is happening at dawn from mid-January through February 23, 2016

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July 14, 2015

New Horizons reaches Pluto!

Celebrate as New Horizons reaches Pluto at Griffith Observatory, or watch live on GriffithTV.

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This table gives the monthly positions of the naked-eye planets through the year 2035, and it is designed for people who want to plot the planets on their planispheres, or rotating star finders. Notice that the planets stray outside the boundaries of the 12 traditional constellations of the zodiac and can also enter Oph (Ophiuchus), Cet (Cetus), and Ori (Orion). Mercury is not included because it moves so quickly from constellation to constellation.

This table was prepared at the Griffith Observatory by John Mosley using Starry Night Pro software.

2006 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Lib Sgr
Mars Ari Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Lib Sco
Jupiter Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Sco
Saturn Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo
2007 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Cap Psc Ari Tau Gem Cnc Leo Sex Cnc Leo Vir Lib
Mars Sgr Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Gem Gem
Jupiter Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Sgr
Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo
2008 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap
Mars Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Sco Oph
Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr
Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo
2009 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Vir Vir Sco Sgr Cap
Mars Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Cnc Leo
Jupiter Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap
Saturn Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir
2010 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Vir Lib Vir Lib
Mars Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Lib Oph Sgr
Jupiter Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Aqr Aqr
Saturn Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir
2011 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Oph Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Leo Vir Lib Oph Sgr
Mars Cap Cap Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Cnc Leo Leo
Jupiter Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Psc
Saturn Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir
2012 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Tau Tau Gem Cnc Leo Vir Lib
Mars Vir Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Lib Sco Sgr Sgr
Jupiter Ari Ari Ari Ari Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau
Saturn Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir
2013 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Ari Tau Gem Leo Vir Vir Oph Sgr Sgr
Mars Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir
Jupiter Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem
Saturn Lib Lib Lib Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Lib Lib Lib Lib
2014 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Lib Sgr
Mars Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Lib Sco Oph Sgr Cap
Jupiter Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Cnc Cnc Cnc Leo Leo Leo
Saturn Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib
2015 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Leo Leo Cnc Leo Vir Lib
Mars Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir
Jupiter Leo Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo
Saturn Sco Sco Sco Sco Sco Lib Lib Lib Lib Sco Sco Oph
2016 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Oph Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Lib Sgr Cap
Mars Vir Lib Sco Oph Sco Lib Lib Sco Oph Sgr Cap Aqr
Jupiter Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir
Saturn Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph
2017 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Aqr Psc Psc Psc Psc Ari Tau Gem Leo Vir Lib Oph
Mars Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Vir Vir Vir
Jupiter Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Lib Lib
Saturn Oph Oph Sgr Sgr Sgr Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Sgr
2018 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir Lib
Mars Lib Oph Sgr Sgr Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Aqr Aqr
Jupiter Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Oph
Saturn Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr
2019 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Oph Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Leo Vir Lib Oph Sgr
Mars Psc Ari Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Lib
Jupiter Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Sgr
Saturn Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr
2020 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Tau Tau Gem Cnc Leo Vir Lib
Mars Oph Sgr Sgr Cap Aqr Aqr Cet Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc
Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr
Saturn Sgr Sgr Sgr Cap Cap Cap Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr
2021 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Ari Tau Gem Leo Vir Vir Oph Sgr Sgr
Mars Ari Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Lib Sco
Jupiter Cap Cap Cap Cap Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Cap Cap Cap Aqr
Saturn Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap
2022 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Lib Sgr
Mars Oph Sgr Cap Aqr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau
Jupiter Aqr Aqr Aqr Psc Psc Psc Cet Cet Psc Psc Psc Psc
Saturn Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap Cap
2023 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Cnc Leo Cnc Cnc Leo Vir Lib
Mars Tau Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Lib Oph
Jupiter Psc Cet Psc Psc Psc Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari
Saturn Cap Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr
2024 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Oph Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Lib Sgr Cap
Mars Sgr Cap Cap Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Gem Cnc Cnc
Jupiter Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau
Saturn Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr
2025 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Aqr Psc Psc Psc Psc Ari Tau Gem Leo Vir Lib Oph
Mars Gem Gem Gem Cnc Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Lib Oph Sgr
Jupiter Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem
Saturn Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Aqr Aqr Aqr
2026 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir Lib
Mars Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo
Jupiter Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Cnc Cnc Cnc Leo Leo Leo
Saturn Psc Psc Psc Cet Cet Psc Psc Psc Cet Cet Cet Cet
2027 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Oph Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Leo Vir Lib Oph Sgr
Mars Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Lib Sco Oph Sgr
Jupiter Leo Leo Leo Cnc Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Vir
Saturn Cet Cet Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc
2028 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Tau Tau Gem Cnc Leo Vir Lib
Mars Cap Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir
Jupiter Vir Vir Leo Leo Leo Leo Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir
Saturn Psc Psc Psc Psc Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari
2029 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Cap Aqr Ari Tau Gem Leo Vir Vir Oph Sgr Sgr
Mars Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Lib Oph Sgr Cap
Jupiter Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Vir Lib Lib
Saturn Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Tau Tau Tau Ari Ari
2030 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Ari Ori Cnc Leo Vir Lib Sgr
Mars Cap Aqr Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir
Jupiter Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Lib Sco Oph
Saturn Ari Ari Ari Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau
2031 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Cap Psc Ari Tau Gem Cnc Leo Cnc Cnc Leo Vir Lib
Mars Vir Lib Lib Lib Lib Vir Lib Lib Oph Sgr Sgr Cap
Jupiter Oph Oph Sgr Sgr Sgr Oph Oph Oph Oph Oph Sgr Sgr
Saturn Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau
2032 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Oph Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Lib Sgr Cap
Mars Aqr Psc Psc Ari Tau Gem Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir
Jupiter Sgr Sgr Sgr Cap Cap Cap Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Cap
Saturn Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Tau Ori Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem
2033 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Aqr Psc Psc Psc Psc Ari Tau Gem Leo Vir Lib Oph
Mars Lib Sco Oph Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Sgr Cap Aqr
Jupiter Cap Cap Cap Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr Aqr
Saturn Gem Ori Ori Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem
2034 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Sgr Aqr Psc Ari Tau Cnc Leo Vir Vir Vir Vir Lib
Mars Psc Psc Ari Tau Tau Gem Cnc Leo Leo Vir Vir Lib
Jupiter Aqr Aqr Aqr Psc Psc Psc Psc Psc Cet Cet Psc Psc
Saturn Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Gem Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc
2035 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Venus Oph Sgr Cap Aqr Psc Tau Gem Leo Vir Lib Oph Sgr
Mars Sco Oph Sgr Cap Cap Aqr Aqr Psc Aqr Aqr Aqr Psc
Jupiter Cet Psc Psc Psc Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari Ari
Saturn Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Cnc Leo Leo