Is it a planet or a star?
Some of the brightest points in the night sky are not stars at all. They are planets.
Look up on a clear evening and you will see lots of points of light. Most are stars, far away suns. But some may be planets in our own Solar System.
You can see five planets with just your eyes: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
How can you tell a planet from a star? Here are some clues.
Stars often twinkle. Planets usually shine with a steadier light, especially when they are high in the sky.
Planets move slowly against the stars, from week to week. The word planet comes from an old Greek word meaning wanderer.
Planets are always found close to the same line across the sky, the path the Sun and Moon follow too.
Venus is the brightest of all. It is often seen low in the west after sunset, or low in the east before sunrise. Jupiter is often next brightest. Mars has an orange-red glow.
The sky calendar tells you which planets you can see each month.
Planets do not make their own light. We see them because they reflect sunlight, just like the Moon does.
Look at the sky calendar for this month, then try to find one planet with an adult.