![August 2010 neptune](https://www.astronomy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/august-2010-neptune.jpg)
Neptune appears blue-gray through backyard telescopes, a far cry from its appearance to the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989.
NASA/JPL
Four planets come into view shortly after sunset. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn gather low in the west at dusk and set within 2 hours of the Sun. Brilliant Venus stands out far more than the others.