... Credit Copyright: John French ( Abrams Planetarium , MSU ) Explanation: Have you seen any bright planets lately? ... Now shining in the west as bright " stars " in the night sky, are all five planets of the solar system known to ancient astronomers - Mercury, Venus, Mars , Saturn, and Jupiter . Recorded from Holt, Michigan, USA about 40 minutes after sunset on April 14th, this digital image captures three of them, Venus, Mars, and Saturn , along with a young crescent Moon . ...