Right now it is a bit rare situation, because one can observe all seven planets during one night. Naturally it depends much on your location on planet, but for example here in Finland all planets can be seen on . This kind of phenomenon can be seen at least once a year in southern countries, but up here in north it does not happen every year. During this one night you can observe Jupiter at evening, Uranus and Neptune on midnight, and Venus and Mars on late night. Saturn and Mercury can be seen on early morning.

October 2009 planets

Jupiter is located in constellation Capricorn, and it can be observed about four hours after sun set.  Turn your telescope or binoculars towards South, and you should see Jupiter shining bright.

Uranus is the next planet to be observed, and it can be seen on early night. In the middle of October Uranus moves from Pisces to Aquarius. Most often you need a telescope or at least binoculars to observe Uranus, but if you happen to have good observing conditions, you might see it even by the naked eye.

Neptune is located in constellation Capricorn and it can also be seen on early night. Neptune is such a dim planet that you need a telescope or binoculars to see it.

Venus is a planet that most people must have noticed, because it can be seen shining very bright on Eastern morning sky. On early morning of October 13th Venus is located very close to Saturn.

Mars is located in constellation Gemini, and it can be seen climbing from North-East right before midnight. Best time to observe Mars is early morning when the planet moves to Eastern sky.

Mercury has not been visible before October, but currently it can be seen on Eastern sky on early morning. October 18th is a special day, because Mercury and Saturn are located very close to each other on early morning.

Saturn is located in constellation Virgo and it can be seen on Eastern sky on early morning. October 13th is a special day, because Saturn is located very close to Venus on early morning.

Astronomy season here in northern hemisphere is currently ongoing and the activity of astronomy bloggers is high. I just received the latest Finnish astronomy magazine and noticed that again they have published several awesome pictures shot by their readers. Winter is great time. Not just because of Christmas and snow, but also the darkness that provides possibilities of star gazing.

Which planets can be seen in December 2008?

December started just few days ago, and search engines send lots of readers to my blog. The reason for this is that they are looking for information of which planets can be seen in December 2008. Planets are very interesting, so let’s find out which ones can be seen in this month. December Nightsky is not much different from November, but some changes appear in relation to the planets.

Planet Mercury can be seen in South-West direction in late December. You can see Mercury already on dawn when the planets is located close to Jupiter.

Planet Venus can also be seen after sunset in South-West direction in December. Although Venus can be seen during the whole month, it is best viewed in late December. Venus is located close to Moon in the end of the month.

Planet Jupiter is located in constellation Sagittarius, and it can be seen low in South-West direction.

Planet Saturn cannot be seen on early night, but after midnight you can see it climbing from East. Saturn is located in constellation Leo, and it is best viewed in direction South on early morning. Saturn can be observed with binoculars, but with a small telescope you can see even Saturn’s moon Titan.

Planet Uranus is located in constellation Aquarius, and it can be observed with binoculars. Although some people see Uranus by the naked eye, with binoculars it is very much easier.

Planet Neptune can be seen in early night in constellation Capricornus, but is not possible to be viewed without binoculars or a telescope.

Which planets cannot be seen in December 2008?

Mars and Pluto cannot be seen in December 2008.

December is good time for observing planets, because almost all the planets can be seen at the same time. Biggest planets can be observed without any equipment, such as a telescope.

Picture: bluecharma

Shortly said, Uranus and Neptune can be seen during early night, while Jupiter can be seen already on twilight, and Saturn climbs to the sky on early morning.

What planets can be seen in October 2008 in northern hemisphere?

Next we’ll describe how you can find planets in October 2008, but before that you might ask, “which planets CANNOT be seen in October 2008″? Well, Mars, Mercury, Venus and Pluto cannot be seen in this month. So, let’s continue with those that can be observed.

October 2008 planets – Jupiter

Planet Jupiter is located in constellation Sagittarius in October 2008. You can see this huge planet already on late twilight, shining in South-West direction. Jupiter is located pretty low on sky, so make sure you don’t have obstacles such as trees between you and Jupiter. The best time to observe Jupiter depends on your location, but for example on 60 degrees of latitude Jupiter will disappear four after after sunset. This means you won’t have much time to observe Jupiter.

October 2008 Planets – Neptune

Planet Neptune can be seen in constellation Capricornus on early night. Because Neptune is a small planet and located far from us, it is not as bright as planet Jupiter, for example. Therefore you need binoculars or a telescope for observing planet Neptune. Neptune is not as fascinating planet such as Saturn, but observing planet Neptune provides some alternation with your astronomy hobby.

October 2008 Planets – Saturn

Probably the most interesting planet for most of us is Saturn. This awesome planet with beautiful disks is probably the most photographed planet. You can see the magnificent planet Saturn on Eastern sky in constellation Leo. Saturn can be seen on early night during October 2008. Remember to observe Saturn with your binoculars, because you cannot see the disks naked-eye.

October 2008 Planets – Uranus

Fourth planet we can observe in northern hemisphere in October 2008 is Uranus. This rather distant planet can be seen on early night in constellation Aquarium. Usually you need binoculars for watching planet Uranus, but sometimes you can see it even naked-eye.

By the way, did you notice that the planets you can see in October 2008 are actually the same planets you can see in September 2008?

Other interesting phenomena with planets in October 2008

Notice that there are also few other interesting phenomena with the planets in October 2008. The moon will be located close to Jupiter on October 7th. on late evening. The moon will also be located close to Saturn on October 25th. on early morning. Planet Mercury will be in low conjunction on October 6th. On October 22 nd. the planet Mercury will be in its highest western elongation.

Photo: jeffrey beal

Before going through the planets we can be seen in northern hemisphere in September 2008,let’s narrow the scope by stating which planets CANNOT be seen in September 2008. Those are

- Mercury

- Pluto

- Mars

- Venus

So, we have four planets left we can observe in September. Let’s go them through next.

Planets in northern hemisphere in September 2008

Jupiter can be seen in early night in constellation Sagittarius. Direction is South-West, low above the horizon. If you wish to observe Jupiter, start immediately after the sunset, because Jupiter fades away around midnight.

For those who wake up early, I recommend observing Saturn which rises up on eastern sky early morning. Saturn is a very interesting planet to observe because of its awesome disks, so check out the weather forecast, and if it looks good, wake up early and go out to observe Saturn.

Neptune can also be seen in northern hemisphere in September 2008. Turn your telescope towards constellation Capricornus on early night. Neptune is pretty dim, so you really need a telescope or at least binoculars to see it.

Uranus is the fourth planet one can observe in northern hemisphere in September 2008. Uranus is located in constellation Aquarius, and it was in opposition just two days ago (13.9. in Helsinki). This means that Uranus was located directly in South at midnight. Uranus is also a dim planet, so you should use at least binoculars. Sometimes Uranus can be seen with the naked eye.

So, these four planets you can observe in northern hemisphere in September 2008. Additionally I would like to remind you that Saturn will be located close to the Moon on 27.9. Planets and stars are not going to meet during September 2008.

Notice also that few days ago I wrote about the stars in northern hemisphere in September 2008.