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What Planets Are Visible from Vancouver Canada on December 5, 2020?

-- Greg | December 5, 2020

Question:

I am in Vancouver Canada. Seattle Washington would likely have the same view.
I am a beginner learning to watch and identify planets visible in the night sky.
Today for example at 5 AM I think I see 3 planets.
1 planet is low on the SE horizon
2 planets are low but higher than planet 1 in the SW horizon
My questions are:
1 Can you confirm the names of the 3 planets?
2 Most impotently for my curiosity there are 3 stars in the SW a bit higher than the 2 planets.
and they view in a straight line. The 3 stars are usually viable when no other stars are visible in the SW sky.
Please if you would be so kind to give me the names of the 3 planets and 3 stars.
Regards and stay safe,
Greg

-- Greg

Answer:

I believe that you were seeing Venus on the SE horizon. As for what you identified as two planets on the SW horizon, I don’t believe that there are any planets visible in that part of the sky from your location this time of year. Quite a few bright stars are visible that the SW in the morning from your location, though, including Sirius, Rigel, Betelgeuse, and Procyon. I suspect that you were seeing one or more of these four bright stars on the SW horizon. You can check what planets are visible from Vancouver using the Time and Date page for Vancouver for December 2020 or the Farmer’s Almanac page for Vancouver for December 2020. Both of these also have information on bright stars and other objects visible in the night sky.

-- Jeff Mangum

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