A general ASTRONOMY site to get you started exploring the night sky
Optimized for desktops and laptops.
Most pages on phones and tablets will overlap.
For information on celestial events like ECLIPSES or COMETS, I recommend Space.com or SpaceWeather.com
PARADE OF PLANETS • May 2026
MORNING
Saturn rises in the east about 2 hours before the Sun with Mars trailing and rising about 1 hour before the Sun. This is not the best time to view Mars because it is fairly far away from Earth and will appear small in telescopes. At this time, Saturn appears about 4 times the diameter that Mars appears in the sky.
EVENING
Venus is up in the western sky after sunset. It can certainly look like the headlight of a jet. Venus is the brightest “star,” by far, in the whole sky. Jupiter is in Gemini and above Venus and sets in the west before midnight. It is always brighter than any other “star” except for Venus.
Remember • Twinkle Factor
The planets DO NOT normally twinkle like stars unless they are very close to the horizon or the atmosphere is extremely turbulent. So, even thought Saturn is not very bright, it is easier to identify because it does not twinkle.
Header Image
The celestial image used for this site's header is part of the Veil Nebula, a supernova remnant in the constellation Cygnus (the Swan) visible throughout most of the summer and fall. This triangular wedge is a fainter part somewhat between the two major sections that make up the Veil Nebula and it is called Pickering’sTriangle. I took this image using a 6-inch diameter refractor telescope.
