Record your impression of six planets

Your job is to observe six (6) planets of our solar system and describe the visual appearance of each one.

This is a pretty good time of year for seeing planets. If you can go outside at night on one clear evening around 10 PM, you'll be able to find some; and if you can wake up around 5 AM one good morning, you can find the rest. Things aren't always this easy, so you are lucky.

If you go outside in the early evening, between 10 and 11 PM, and look to the South-East, you will see Jupiter -- the brightest object in the sky -- and Saturn, a fainter object to its left. In the chart below, the Milky Way is barely visible rising out of the southern horizon and stretching up overhead. The bright star at right, due South, is Antares, the heart of the scorpion.

Early in the morning, before the Sun rises, if you look again to the South-East, you'll see three other planets. Venus will be VERY bright, so you can't miss it. Mars will be the bright object high in the sky to the South. Mercury is always a bit tricky to see, and now is no exception. Try drawing a line from Mars, through Venus, and extend it toward the glow of the Sun; just before the line reaches the horizon, it will strike Mercury.

In order to gain full credit for this project, you must do the following during both an evening and morning observing session:

Note the time and location from which you are observing. Describe the weather briefly.
Draw a sketch showing a wide view of the southeastern region of the sky. Mark the position of all planets and any bright stars you see.
(optional) Take a picture of the sky which shows at least some of the planets. You will have to put the camera on a tripod or brace it on a table, or somehow stabilize it.
Describe each planet individually. How bright is it, compared to other planets, or to stars you can see? What color is it? Does it twinkle?

Scan or photograph all your drawings and notes, creating a single PDF file with all the material. Submit the PDF file via the myCourses "Assignments" facility.