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Saturn is still bright enough to view in late twilight.  So try around 8PM.  Do your planet viewing then and save the really dark sky for nebulae or other DSOs later in the evening.  Other than that, wait until March for these two planets.  Jupiter is rising higher each night.  In another month it should be high enough for late evening views under dark sky in your area.

starwatcher100

I keep reading that this is a great month for planet viewing, but by the time it gets dark in NJ,  Mars and Saturn are  too low on the horizon to be seen with our telescope. What time is the best time to view Saturn this month in the northeast? 

Indeed, starwatcher100, both Mars and Saturn appear low in the southwest during the early evening this week, and set around 22 hr daylight time for North Americans near the central meridians of their time zones. Those planets will set earlier and appear closer to the Sun each evening. 

Saturn will appear in conjunction with the Sun on 2012 OCT 25, and Mars will do so on 2013 APR 18. A few weeks after their solar conjunctions those planets will become visible in the predawn eastern sky. Saturn will begin reentering the evening sky in early 2013 and Mars in early 2014. I’ve created graphics and descriptions for the planets’ apparitions at www.CurtRenz.com/astronomical

starwatcher100

I keep reading that this is a great month for planet viewing, but by the time it gets dark in NJ,  Mars and Saturn are  too low on the horizon to be seen with our telescope. What time is the best time to view Saturn this month in the northeast? 

Thanks. Alas, our 4.5 inch dob is a little small for Uranus and Neptune. Guess we'll have to wait until March/April for Saturn.

Thanks so much.

Thanks. Fortunately or unfortunately,  It's still too bright here to see anything other than a beautiful sunset at 8. Guess we'll have to wait until spring for Saturn.

 Alas, our 4.5 inch dob is a little small for Uranus and Neptune.

Uranus is visible to the naked-eye from a dark site when it's at opposition and Neptune can be seen with binoculars.  You'll certainly be able to observe both of them with a 4.5" Dob but neither will be very impressive.

Finder charts for both planets are posted at www.skyandtelescope.com/.../Uranus-and-Neptune-in-2012-138059253.html

Dave Mitsky

Neptune shines at magnitude 7.8 as it reaches opposition today.  It's located about one degree east of the fifth-magnitude star 38 Aquarii. There's a finder chart posted at www.astronomy.com/.../Neptune%20shines%20at%20its%20brightest.aspx

Dave Mitsky