The only planets not visible are Mercury (which rises before dawn) and Earth (the one on which you will be standing!).
Above and to the left of the moon, you should be able to spot the first of the evening’s parade of planets: yellow-white Jupiter, which will shine brightly about 22 degrees above the horizon.
If the sky remains clear, you can’t miss Mars rising in the northeast. The red planet rises just after 10pm and reaches its highest point just before 2.30am.
This week, Mars reaches opposition, meaning it will be at its brightest. While you won’t see any detail with binoculars, a telescope will allow you to observe the white northern polar cap and some fascinating surface markings.
Two of tonight's planets cannot be seen with the naked eye, so you will need good binoculars to find them. Uranus is currently located in the constellation Aries, fairly close to the star cluster Matariki; look for a distinctly green "star".
Neptune is considerably dimmer than Uranus. This blue-green planet can be found in the constellation of Pisces, the Fishes.
The last planets of this celestial tour are both located in the constellation Aquarius, the Water Bearer.
Venus is by far the brighter, shining almost 160 times brighter than Saturn, its ringed counterpart.
Both planets are fascinating to view through a telescope; this week, Venus resembles a first-quarter moon, with 50% of its tiny disk illuminated by the sun.
Currently, Saturn’s famous ring system is almost edge-on to us, making it appear quite different than usual, as its renowned rings are practically invisible from our perspective.
