Where are the planets?

The appearance of the celestial dome is always changing. Here is brief rundown of where the moon and the planets lie in the sky above us.

Moon: Just past full, it is a waning gibbous phase. As the week progresses, its "fattness" becomes less. It moves near Mars as they rise on the 12th and 13th.

Mercury: Rises an hour before the sun, and remains very low in the southeast just before sunrise. It will be difficult to spot.

Venus: Very bright starlike object in the west an hour after sunset. If it is clear, you can't miss it.

Mars: Appears as a bright star in the east after 11 pm. Can you notice its orange-red color?

Jupiter: As the sun sets, Jupiter lies very high in the south. It is easily the brightest object in that area of the sky.

Saturn: Won't rise in the east until 2 am. It sits to the left of a slightly dimmer object, the star Spica. Bright Mars lies far to their upper right.

As a bonus celestial sight: The ever popular constellation Orion with its two bright stars, Betelgeuse and Rigel, can be found after 7 p.m. climbing in the east.

Such is our view from Earth...