Planets in 2005
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Mercury
Mercury stages a big event on November 8: a transit. It will cross directly across the disk of the Sun, forming a tiny black dot against the bright background. It's dangerous to look at directly, though, so it's best observed through web sites that provide live broadcasts. Other than that, this little planet -- named for the Roman messenger god, who flew from Olympus on winged heels -- flits back and forth from morning sky to evening sky several times a year. It never strays far from the Sun in our sky, so it's tough to find in the glare. From the northern hemisphere, it's visible in the morning sky this year in early January, mid-March through mid-May, early August, and late November through late December. The late-year appearance is the best, because the planet will stand highest above the horizon. In the evening, Mercury is best seen in February (its best appearance of the year), early June through early July, and late September through October.

Venus
Venus, the dazzling morning or evening star, outshines all the other stars and planets in the night sky. It begins the year in the evening sky, low in the west shortly after sunset. It then passes between Earth and the Sun, and will disappear in the Sun's glare for a few days. It will return to view late in the month as the brilliant “morning star” quite low in the southeast. Venus will spend most of the year in the morning sky, climbing higher during the spring and summer before dropping back toward the Sun. It will pass behind the Sun in late October, so it will be lost in the Sun's glare from early September through early December. It will reemerge in the evening sky by year's end.

Mars
Mars begins the year as a moderately bright orange star in the constellation Aries. It will grow fainter through the end of summer, when it will disappear in the Sun's glare. Mars will reemerge in the morning sky in late December. In March, it will pass quite close to Aldebaran, the star that marks the “eye” of Taurus, the bull. Mars and Aldebaran will look like twins, with near-identical color and brightness.

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 May, when it appears brightest for the year, and remains visible all night. It will disappear behind the Sun in early November, then return to view before dawn by early December, when it will appear quite close to Mars.

Saturn
Saturn looks like a bright golden star. It spends much the year in Cancer, much of that time closely aligned with the constellation's most promiment feature, the Beehive Cluster. It disappears behind the Sun in late July, then reemerges in the morning sky in late August. It's brightest at the beginning of the year, when it's closest to us.

Uranus
Although it's the third-largest planet in the solar system, Uranus is 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 late summer.