Worthing Astronomical Society Planet Section Worthing Astronomical Society Planet Section Eight of the nine planets of our Solar System are visible with nothing more than a pair of binoculars. The most rewarding planet to observe is Jupiter, with its cloud belts, bands, spots and other atmospheric features clearly visible in small telescopes. Saturn and its rings is always an impressive sight, and Mars puts on a good show every two years. The phases of Venus are interesting to follow although no features are ever seen on its bland disk.
Mercury is elusive and requires a low horizon and a clear sky if it is to be seen.
Uranus and Neptune barely show as disks in the 12 inch but may be identified using only a pair of binoculars and a good star chart.