It is a rare occurrence to see all of the eight planets in the solar system in one night, but they will all be shining mightily this week.
The planets are easy to find because they all follow the ecliptic, the apparent path that the sun and the planets trace across the sky, as seen from Earth.
Venus and Jupiter will be very clear in the sky after sunset near the southwest and southeast respectively, and Uranus and Neptune are visible with a telescope in between their brighter comrades.
Then, at about 6:00 a.m., Mars and Saturn will be high in the sky near the south, and Mercury will just be rising in the east. Mercury may be a bit difficult to view because it will be low on the horizon and the sun will be coming up. However, the bright stars Spica, Antares, and Regulus will complement the planets.
Do not forget to look at Earth, too!
If skies are clouded over, try again sometime over the next week.
