Prime time to see half the solar system
You've probably spotted a planet or two shining brightly in the same night sky before. How about four?
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A new moon, along with expected clearing skies by sundown, make Thursday night the best to catch a glimpse of neighboring inner planets and gas giants without a telescope.
Look to the south after sunset. Mars should be very visible, looking a bit reddish as the planet-encircling dust storm dies down. To the right, look for dimmer Saturn. If you look after 9 p.m. from an area less affected by light pollution, the stars of the constellation Sagittarius should be visible. Use the left lid of the teapot asterism within Sagittarius as a pointer to Saturn this week.
Moving right toward the southwest, Jupiter shines as brightly as Mars. Finally, low on the west-southwest horizon, you'll find Venus, several orders of magnitude brighter than the others. Venus does disappear below the tree line around 9 p.m. but should be visible even in the glow of sunset. Venus is that bright.
You can also see Mercury this week, about 45 minutes before sunrise. Look low in the east-northeast sky for a faintly yellow dot. If you don't get a chance to take advantage of Thursday's clear, moonless skies, the quartet of planets continue to be visible through mid-September.
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