The Planets on the Night Sky Over a period of a human lifetime the stars do not noticeably move relative to one another on the night sky.
Planets tend to be among the brightest objects in the night sky.
There are five planets visible to the naked eye. Jupiter and Venus are brighter than the brightest stars. The apparent brightness of planets varies because the distance between the Earth and the planet changes throughout the year. Planets move on paths which are close to, but not exactly on, the ecliptic. All the planets orbit in nearly the same plane.