Let's start with the brightest ones, for now.

Venus is starting to be visible after sunset - or perhaps even slightly before sunset (1), in the west. She will set soon after the Sun, so you have to watch almost immediately after sunset.

Venus is easy to detect: if she is visible, she will always be the brightest "star" (looks like a star).

Also, instead of being lower every evening, like other stars, Venus is currently rising. She continue to rise until she gets approximately 47 or 48 degrees from the Sun. At least, that is the typical distance.


Jupiter is normally the second-brightest "star" in the sky - on rare occasions outshone by Mars. Right now, look eastwards - at sunset, you will see a bright star, at the position where the Sun is more or less at 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. (this is right now; the position will change).

To verify that it is a planet, compare the position of this bright "star" with other stars, nearby - the position will gradually change over the weeks.


In general, the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are clearly visible to the naked eye. Uranus is on the border of visibility.


(1) I have sometimes seen Venus at noon. This is possible, if you know exactly where to look.