You can track planets based on which constellation they are near.
The night sky is filled with constellations, clusters of stars, the moon and planets. It provides an opportunity for star- and planet-gazers to observe celestial objects millions of light years away using locator tools and the naked eye. Since scientists and astronomers have accurately mapped the movements of all the planets we see in the sky, online websites provide free tools to identify a planet's location in the sky during the nighttime hours.
Instructions
1. Use longitude and latitude coordinates to pinpoint a planet's current position in the night sky. Depending on your location on Earth, the planet's position will differ. Use an online planet coordinator to help you identity the planet's position from your current location.
2. Visit the Planets in the Sky website, which offers printouts as a map to the night sky. The guide allows you to find constellations and any visible planets at that time. The information from "Planets in the Sky" also tracks the right ascension along with the exact coordinates of a planet. The right ascension, or RA, represents the planet's distance and direction -- north or south -- from the celestial equator.
3. Find an interactive sky charts website. Select the constellation that contains the planet. Using the constellation map provided by the website, track the dot that represents the planet. Go outside on a clear, dark night and hold up your map relative to the north direction and look for the planets.
4. Look for planets with your naked eye. Planets are closer than stars and will generally be brighter in the night sky. According to Martin Powell, author of "The Naked Eye Planets," Uranus was visible to the naked eye during the months of January, October, November and December 2010, while Mercury wasn't visible at all. Online astronomy forums and news offer information regarding which planets can be seen in the upcoming months. So just stand outside, look up and seek out a shiny, bright planet that closely resembles a star.
Tags: planet position, represents planet, right ascension
