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Mercury
Named for the Roman messenger god, who flew from Olympus on winged heels, this little planet flits back and forth from morning sky to evening sky several times a year. Unfortunately, it never strays far from the Sun in our sky, so it's tough to find in the glare. From the northern hemisphere, the best times to see it in the morning this year come in late April, late August, and mid December, when it looks like a moderately bright star low in the southeast shortly before dawn. In the evening, Mercury is best seen in early July and early November. In late June, it forms a tight grouping with Venus and Saturn in the west in early evening. Although it will remain quite low in the sky then, its proximity to the two other bright planets will make it easier to find.

Venus
Venus, the dazzling morning or evening star, outshines all the other stars and planets in the night sky. It's out of sight for much of the early part of the year as it passes behind the Sun. It emerges as the brilliant "evening star," quite low in the west at sunset, in June. It climbs a little higher later on, but remains fairly low for much of its swing across the evening sky. It stands farthest from the Sun in early November. Venus stages a spectacular encounter with Mercury and Saturn in late June, and with Jupiter in late August and early September.

Mars
Mars begins the year as a moderately bright "morning star" in the southeast at first light. It looks like a yellow-orange star. It slowly creeps into the evening sky during summer, and puts in its best appearance of the year in autumn. Mars is at opposition on November 7, when it passes closest to Earth and appears brightest for the year. It will shine as a brilliant "star" with a definite orange tint, and will be brighter than anything else in the night sky except the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter.

Jupiter
The largest planet in our solar system is a commanding presence in the night sky for much of the year. It looks like an intensely bright cream-colored star, shining brighter than anything else in the night sky except the Moon and Venus. It's at "opposition" in early April, when it appears brightest for the year, and remains visible all night. It will disappear "behind" the Sun in late September or early October, then return to view before dawn by early November. Jupiter and Venus pair up in the evening sky in late August and early September.

Saturn
Saturn looks like a bright golden star. It spends the first half of the year in Gemini, much of that time closely aligned with the constellation's "twin" stars of Pollux and Castor, then moves eastward into Cancer during summer. It disappears behind the Sun during July, then reemerges in the morning sky in August. It's brightest at the beginning and end of the year, when it's closest to us. It bunches up with Venus and Mercury in the early evening sky in late June.

Uranus
Although it's the third-largest planet in the solar system, it's so far from the Sun that you need binoculars to see it. It spends the year in the constellation Aquarius. It stages its best appearance in late August and early September.

Neptune
The fourth-largest planet in the solar system is so far away that you need a telescope to find it. Neptune appears in the constellation Capricornus, and stages its best appearance in summer.

Pluto
The solar system's smallest and most distant planet is never visible without the aid of a good-sized telescope. It's in the constellation Ophiuchus. Lowell Observatory assistant Clyde Tombaugh discovered the planet 75 years ago this February.