Skywatchers will be hoping for clear skies tonight to help them see some stunning astronomical features in the heavens.

Eddie McGonagle of the Astronomical Society of Bermuda pointed out that five planets of antiquity ? Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter ? are currently visible in the night sky.

?Mercury is nicely situated above the western horizon and reaches its highest altitude tonight,? Mr. McGonagle said in a Press release.

?Not too many people have ever seen Mercury because the dim planet stays close to the horizon. It sets an hour-and-a-half after sunset and will remain in the evening sky for another week or so.

?Venus also reaches its loftiest position tonight when it attains its greatest eastward distance from the Sun. Venus will be very bright for weeks as it occupies the western sky for about four hours after sunset.

?Mars is a fist width at outstretched arms length above Venus. The planet has dimmed noticeable since its record-breaking closeness to us last autumn.

?Saturn lies a hand-span towards the zenith above Mars. A steady pair of binoculars will reveal Saturn?s lovely rings.?Jupiter is very bright in the eastern half of the sky, sitting just underneath the belly of Leo, the sphinx shaped constellation. A modest telescope will show all or some of the four moons that dance around Jupiter.?