1. Planets Visible With the Naked Eye
By Jennica Bringhurst
Its 2012 and many of the planets are lining up in the night sky. wouldn’t it be cool if you could identify the planets and teach your friend what planets they are seeing? After this presentation you should be able to impress people with your knowledge about he naked eye planets.

2. Introduction
I will be discussing three main points about the planets in the night sky.
How to identify the planets from the stars
The appearance of the planets in the night sky
The visibility of the planets in 2012

3. Identifying the Planets from the Stars
Planets and Stars
Apparition and Opposition
The Planets positions changes
Planets brightness varies and they shine with a more steady light then the stars .
Plants do not produce any light of their own.
Stars are so distant they appear to twinkle
Stars generate their own light.
Apparition -The period of time during which any given planet can be seen
Opposition- is when one celestial body is on the opposite side of the sky when viewed from a particular place
The planets position changes slightly against the background stars from one night to the next.
The planets brightness varies in a regular cycle over a period of time
The planets are close enough to the earth to from a sizeable disk in the night sky and when they are well about the horizon the planets shine with a more steady light than the stars.
The planets do not produce any light of their own; instead they shin by reflecting a proportion of the sunlight they receive back out into space.
The proportion of sunlight they reflect depends upon the planets size the amount of cloud cover it has, the reflectivity of the features on its surface.
Stars are so distant that they appear to twinkle or scintillate because of turbulence in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Stars generate their own light by internal nuclear fusion reaction. That is why they twinkle as well.

4. Mercury Apparent Magnitude: -1.9 to +3.8
More difficult to spot than the other bright planets
Best seen in March and April evenings and September and October mornings.
White in color and can take on a somewhat pinkish hue
Twinkles more readily
It is more difficulty to spot than the other bright planets.
From the vantage point of the earth, mercury never appears very far from the sun
It can only be seen with the naked eye when it is in twilight and it is never seen in fully dark skies.
It typically makes three morning appearances and three evening appearances each year.
Seen best March and April evening and September and October mornings.
Mercury is generally white in color, though it low altitude causes it to take on a somewhat pinkish hue.
It is the closest planet to the sun and it moves so swiftly its brightness varies rapidly during any give apparition
Mercury smaller apparent size and the much poorer seeing conditions appear to scintillate (twinkle) more readily than the other bright planets.

5. Venus Apparent Magnitude: -4.7 to -3.5
Easiest planet to see with the naked eye
Cycle of alternating morning and evening appearances
It is by far the easiest planet to see with the naked eye shining with a brilliant white light, the brightest planet in the night sky.
comes closer to the Earth than any other planet- to within 26 million miles
Its brilliance is largely due to the high reflectivity of its clouds.
It has a cycle of alternating morning and evening appearances, and is popularly named the morning star and evening star at greatest elongation Venus rises/set some 3 hours before/ after the sun.
Each apparition lasts for several months during which time the planets slowly move away from the sun then slowly moves back towards the sun, eventually disappearing into the morning or evening twilight.

6. Mars Apparent Magnitude: -2.9 to +1.8
                                    
Mars Apparent Magnitude: -2.9 to +1.8
Popularly called the red planet
Distance from Earth varies considerably
Mars can clearly be seen in twilight for about six weeks
Star map showing the path of Mars through Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo from September 2011 to August 2012
It is easily recognized since it has the most distinctive coloration of the all the naked eye planets. Popularly called the red planet
The reddish color is caused by the presence of iron oxide (rust) on the planet surface.
When it is on the far side of it orbit from the earth it appears as an unremarkable orange red star shining only as bright as the stars.
Because of Mars eccentric obit the distance from the earth varies considerably form one opposition to the next takes place about every 2 years and 7 weeks.
The best opposition occurs in groups of two or three which repeat in a cycle of about 16 years, when its orbit brings it closest to the Earth. In 2003 it came closer to the Earth than it had been for almost 60,000 years.
For about six weeks either side of opposition Mars can clearly be seen in twilight; at it brightest Mars outshines the star Sirius.
Because of eccentric orbit the dates of its opposition and its closest approach to the earth can differ by up to two weeks.

7. Jupiter Apparent Magnitude: -2.9 to -1.6
                                    
Appears bright white
Can be seen in twilight
Largest of the solar system planets, but is not the brightest when seen from earth .
Star map showing the path of Jupiter through Pisces, Aries, Taurus and Gemini from May 2011 to July 2014 
Appears bright white and is a very obvious sight in the night sky.
Like Venus it can be seen in twilight and it always shines brighter than the brightest star in the night sky.
Although it is by far the largest of the solar system planets, it is not the bright planet when see from the earth.
Jupiter is fainter than Venus because of its much greater distance from the earth.
Like Venus, Jupiter can also cast faint shadows at night when it is shining at its brightest and is observed under very dark skies.
The four moons of Jupiter are brighter than the typical naked eye limiting magnitude and they would be visible to the unaided eye if it not for the fact that their close proximity to Jupiter causes them to be washed out by the glare of Jupiter itself.

8. Saturn Apparent Magnitude: At opposition -0. 5 (rings open) to +0
Saturn Apparent Magnitude: At opposition -0.5 (rings open) to (rings edge-on)
Appears pale yellow
The rings contribute to its brightness.
You can see Saturn moon Titan with binoculars.
Star map showing the path of Saturn through Leo and Virgo from September 2006 to December 2013
It appears pale yellow to the naked eye. Never appearing as bright as the other naked eye planets, it is nonetheless obvious when it position is known.
The rings contribute a great deal to its brightness, and in fact from the vantage point of the earth, they are not always on view.
About every 15 years, the rings are edgewise-on to the Earth line of sight, at which times they are only seen as a thin line in telescopes or not at all and as a result the planet appears much dimmer in the sky.
When its rings are fully displayed at opposite points in its orbit- Saturn shines at its brightest this last took place in late 2002 it next brightest appearance will be in 2017
Saturn’s largest moon Titan can be seen with binoculars as a faint star like point of light close to the planet.

9. Uranus Apparent Magnitude: +5.5 (average at opposition)
Star map showing the positions of Uranus from Aquarius through Pisces between 2006 and 2019 
Uranus is barley visible to the naked eye when at its brightest, but there has to be no light pollution to see this planet.
It is the most distant planet visible to the naked eye.
                                    
                                    
                  

10. Visibility of the Planets in 2012
Dawn- the planet is visible in the eastern sky for an hour or so before sunrise
Dusk- the planet is visible in the western sky for an hour or so after sunset.
Mor- the planet is best seen in the morning sky.
Eve- the planet is best seen in the evening sky.
AN- the planet is visible all night.
- The planet is too close to the sun and is not visible

11. Conclusion Position of the planets in the Constellations
I hope this information has given you a better understanding of the night sky. Perhaps the next time you are outside with a group of people you can look up at the night sky and impress whoever you are with teaching them about the naked eye planets.

12. The End
Work Cited
Powell, Martin J. "The Naked Eye Planets." n.d. <