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How to Track a Planet

Humans have followed the planets for centuries. Even the most ancient civilizations possessed skills of astronomical observation, as do many otherwise primitive remote tribes. Many Europeans once believed that the sun, the planets and the stars revolved around the Earth. For this reason it was often supposed that the planets were erratic wanderers that followed paths different from the "fixed" stars of the constellations. Today's heliocentric model of the solar system and computer software can make tracking a planet much easier and more precise than ever.

Things You'll Need

Telescope

Instructions

- 1
  Track the planet online. Log on to an astronomy site such as Sky-Map, Google Earth 4.2 or above, or Google Sky. Any of these will let you find a particular planet by entering its name into the search field. However, they will show only the planet's current location. To track a planet, look it up every day and note the changes in its location. You can also use these sites as a guide for finding the planet with your telescope.
- 2
  Track the planet using software for your computer or phone such as SkyORB, available for free for PC or iPhone; Stellarium, available for free for Linux; OS X and Windows or Asynx Planetarium, available for free for PCs. Each of these programs lets you search for a particular planet and allows adjustments for time so you can view the course of the planet over time.
- 3
  Find the planet's current location -- using online or software resources or the guides printed by Sky and Telescope magazine -- and locate it with the telescope. Software simplifies the task, but referring to a static chart and fine-tuning the telescope works also. Check the planet at the same time every night and track its movements over a set period. Alternatively, stay up through the night and track the planet's nighttime arc. Learn which direction it appears to be moving by seeing the status of its orbit relative to that of the Earth.

Astronomy