The Abbitt Planetarium and Abbitt Observatory
at the Virginia Living Museum
Looking for the Planets in 2013?
Mercury
December 2012: Visible east before sunrise during the first week of the month. This is the best appearance of Mercury in the morning sky for 2012.
January: Not visible this month.
February: Well visible in the western evening sky just after sunset on the first three weeks of the month. This will be the best time to see Mercury in the evening for 2013. Look for it close to Mars on the 8th.
March: Visible with great difficulty low in the pre-dawn eastern sky by midmonth.
April: Visible with difficulty in the eastern sky just before dawn.
May: Not visible this month, except possibly with Jupiter and Venus on the 25th, 26th and 27th.
June: Barely visible low in the west just before sunset. Look for it near Venus on the 20th.
July: Not visible this month, being too close to the Sun.
August: Nicely visible in the pre-dawn eastern sky during the first half of the month.
September: Too close to the Sun to be seen this month.
October: Still hiding near the Sun.
November: Visible in the east before sunrise late in the month. This is the best chance to see Mercury in the morning in 2013. Look for it with Saturn on the 26th.
December: Vanishes into the dawn twilight early in the month.
Venus
December 2012: Venus shines in the east before sunrise. Look for it near the Moon on the 11th.
January: Low in the eastern sky before dawn.
February: Extremely low in the eastern sky before dawn, Venus will be too close to the Sun to observe by the end of the month.
March: Not visible this month.
April: Emerges from the solar glare in the western sky at sunset by the end of the month.
May: Remains low in the western evening twilight.
June: Continuing as the “Evening Star.” Look for it with the Moon on the 10th.
July: Visible with difficulty in the western evening sky. Look for it with the Moon on the 10th and with the bright star Regulus in Leo on the 22nd.
August: Low in the western evening sky. Look for it with the Moon on the 9th.
September: Still low in the western evening sky. Look for it with the bright star Spica in Virgo on the 5th; the Moon joins the pair on the 8th. Look for it with Saturn on the 16th-20th.
October: Remaining low in the southwestern evening sky, Venus will seen with the Moon on the 8th, and with the bright star Antares in Scorpius on the 16th.
November: Climbing higher in the western evening sky, look for Venus with the Moon on the 6th.
December: Dominates the western evening sky. Look for it with the Moon on the 5th.
Mars
December 2012: Low in the western sky in the constellation Sagittarius.
January: Low in the southwestern sky after sunset, moving from Capricornus into Aquarius.
February: Mars will be too close to the Sun to observe by the end of the month.
March: Not visible this month.
April: Not visible this month.
May: Not visible this month.
June: Visible with extreme difficulty low in the pre-dawn eastern sky.
July: Low in the pre-dawn east-northeastern sky.
August: Remains low in the pre-dawn eastern sky.
September: In the pre-dawn sky, crossing from Leo into Cancer.
October: Visible in the pre-dawn eastern sky. Look for it with the Moon on the 1st and the 30th; on the 15th it appears with the bright star Regulus in Leo.
November: Visible in the morning sky in the east before dawn.
December: Visible before the dawn in the eastern sky.
Jupiter
December 2012: Jupiter is visible all night this month.
January: Visible most of the night.
February: Visible most of the night.
March: Dominates the early evening sky in the south.
April: Visible in the western evening sky after sunset.
May: Low in the west-northwest at sunset.
June: Too close to the Sun to be seen this month.
July: Emerges into the pre-dawn eastern sky.
August: Low in the pre-dawn eastern sky.
September: Rises in the east well after midnight.
October: Rises in the east in the late evening.
November: Rises in the east at mid-evening, and is visible the rest of the night.
December: Visible almost all night, crossing from east to west.
Saturn
December 2012: Nicely visible in the eastern sky before dawn.
January: Visible in the western sky before dawn.
February: Saturn is high in the south before dawn.
March: Rises in the east in the late evening and well-visible for the rest of the night.
April: Approaching opposition, Saturn is visible in the sky nearly all night long, moving from east to west.
May: Visible most of the night.
June: High in the south after sunset.
July: In the western sky, setting after midnight.
August: Low in the west-southwestern sky after sunset.
September: Setting quickly after the Sun in the west.
October: Hides behind the Sun this month.
November: Not visible this month, being too close to the Sun, except possibly with Mercury on the 26th as it returns to the morning sky.
December: Visible in the morning sky in the east before dawn.