Instructions
Watch for object movement from night to night. Your view of the stars changes more with the seasons; but you see little change night to night. But planets show more movement from one night to the next.
Pay attention to bright lights near sunrise or sunset. These are the best times to see a planet. Venus and Mars are the planet you can see unaided most often. Different times of the year also affect when you can see planets. For example, right before sunrise in early October may allow you to see Venus, Mars and Saturn. Yet in late June, you're more apt to see Venus and Saturn right after sunset.
Find a steady light in the sky. Planets have no light of their own. The light you see is reflected light from the Sun. This allows planets to appear as a steady light, while stars look like they're twinkling.
Use a telescope to find a better view of a planet. The only way to see Uranus and Neptune is with telescopes.
Remember that the planets are closer to Earth than the stars. When you look through a telescope, look for a disk shape. Because of the atmosphere, light appears as different points on a planet.
Locate a planet in the sky with a star map. Just as geographical coordinates like latitude and longitude help you find places on Earth, celestial coordinates can help you locate a planet's position in space at a certain time.