Three planets are easy to spot in the night sky, looking from west to east. They are Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.

Venus is the easiest to spot, high in the western sky soon after sunset. The planet will spend many hours in the western sky, setting late in the night. By late June, and for the rest of the summer, Venus will lose its height. Though gradual at first, Venus is poised to start appearing lower and lower in the western sky in the summer. The planet will jump into the morning sky in autumn.

Jupiter is the second brightest planet in our evening sky. Jupiter is not far south from Venus. You can’t see one without also being aware of the other. Jupiter has faded only slightly in the last two months. But that won’t matter as Jupiter moves closer to Venus. Venus overwhelmingly outshines Jupiter.

Saturn, the ringed planet, is rising in the eastern sky at sunset. Saturn reaches opposition on Friday, May 22. At 827 million miles away, the planet rises in the southeast at sunset and doesn’t set in the southwest until dawn. Though close, Saturn resides low in our southern sky, not the most ideal placement for those looking for crisp, sharp imagery in a telescope.