(Posted 22 August 2021) Four planets (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn) will be easily visible tonight from the Gold Coast tonight without a telescope. Use the below charts to help you identify which ‘star’ is really a planet.
Both Jupiter and Saturn will be easily visible to the unaided eye as ‘star’ like objects above the Eastern horizon. Jupiter appears white and much brighter than pale yellow Saturn.
Point a large pair of binoculars or small telescope at Jupiter and you will ‘discover’ four star like objects near it. These are the four of it’s largest moons otherwise known as the Galilean Moons.
Finally, don’t forget to look West for dazzling Venus. Much lower down on the horizon will be Mercury making a fleeting appearance in the evening sky. Mars is shown but not mentioned in the introduction. You will likely need a pair of binoculars plus a very clear horizon to locate it.
