🔭 Planet Visibility Guide

Monthly guide to planet visibility in 2025–2026 — which planets are in the evening or morning sky, retrograde periods, and observation tips.

What's Visible Tonight?

Select a month to see planet visibility at a glance

Retrograde Periods 2025–2026

Planet	Retrograde Period	Effect
Mercury	Mar 15 – Apr 7, 2025	Appears to move W in sky; stays close to Sun
Mercury	Jul 18 – Aug 11, 2025	Evening star appears to reverse briefly
Mercury	Nov 9 – 29, 2025	Morning sky retrograde
Venus	Jul 23 – Sep 6, 2025	Drops from evening to morning sky
Mars	Dec 2024 – Feb 23, 2025	Best views around opposition Jan 2025
Jupiter	Nov 11, 2024 – Mar 11, 2025	Excellent viewing; rises before midnight
Saturn	Jul 13 – Nov 28, 2025	Rings nearly edge-on in 2025
Uranus	Sep 6 – Feb 4, 2026	Magnitude 5.7; binoculars needed
Neptune	Jul 4 – Dec 4, 2025	Magnitude 7.8; telescope required

Observation Tips by Planet

☿ Mercury — Never far from the Sun. Best seen low on the horizon at dusk or dawn. Binoculars help. Shows phases like Venus.

♀️ Venus — Brightest object in sky after Sun and Moon. Shows dramatic phases. Never more than 47° from the Sun (max elongation).

♂ Mars — Recognisable by its reddish colour. Disk visible in telescope; polar caps sometimes visible. 2-year synodic period between oppositions.

♃ Jupiter — Best solar system telescope target. Cloud bands, Great Red Spot, and 4 Galilean moons visible in any small telescope.

♄ Saturn — Rings visible at 30× magnification. Ring tilt varies 0°–27°; nearly edge-on in 2025. Titan visible as a point of light.

⛢ Uranus — Tiny blue-green disk at high magnification. Barely visible to naked eye under dark skies at magnitude 5.7.

♆ Neptune — Requires a telescope. Appears as a tiny blue dot at 200×+. Use star charts to identify it.