Overview
- Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune gather along the ecliptic, yet only Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are generally visible to the naked eye.
- The prime viewing window is short—roughly 18:30 to 19:15 local time—before the low western planets, including Venus and Neptune, slip below the horizon.
- Scan low in the west for Venus, Mercury and Saturn near each other, locate brilliant Jupiter high in the southeast, and look for Uranus roughly between them high in the south‑southwest.
- Germany’s weather service points to the best early‑evening chances in the southeast, including southeast Bavaria, Upper Lusatia and southeast Brandenburg.
- Astronomers caution the planets are not in a perfect line and Mars is not part of this display, while Jupiter remains the easiest target and its four moons can be spotted with binoculars.