/planets
/planets [name] [location] [remember]
Shows which of the five naked-eye planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn) are currently above the horizon from a
location, with their altitude and compass direction (azimuth)
— or, given a specific name, a focused view of just that one
planet’s current position instead of the full list.
Usage: /planets location: Flagstaff, AZ for all five —
or just /planets with a saved default. Add name: Jupiter
(autocomplete will suggest matches as you type) to see only
that one planet’s altitude, azimuth, and viewing verdict. Add
remember: True to also save the typed location as your new
default.
Positions come from real orbital mechanics (JPL ephemeris data via the Skyfield library), not an approximation. Also notes whether it’s currently dark enough there to actually see anything — a planet can be technically “above the horizon” during daytime and still be invisible.
Parameters
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | No | Optional: a specific planet (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn). Leave blank to see all five. |
location | No | City name, decimal, or DMS coordinates. Leave blank to use your saved default. |
remember | No | Also save this as your new default location (otherwise this is a one-off lookup) |