For those of you who enjoy spotting planets in the sky, the next several days will provide a great opportunity to see Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter which will all dot the eastern sky before dawn for the next few days.

Venus, Mars, and Jupiter form a tight grouping in the sky known as a planetary trio. They won't be visible in such close proximity in the sky again until 2016.

The planets are best seen about an hour before sunrise... another "bennie", since you don't have to stay up late or get up in the middle of the night to see them.

Earthsky.org reports that Venus will be at it's highest point in the sky tomorrow morning, but the planets should all be visible through the morning of October 29th.

And don't let the presence of high thin clouds deter you. The stars might not be clearly visible but the brightly shining planets may still peak through breaks in the clouds.

Mercury will be rising just over the horizon. If you face tall trees or hills in the east, it might not be visible, but if you drive a short distance to an area where the horizon is low, you can probably spot this elusive planet.

Here are some links to more information about this. Photos are credited to Earthsky.org.

You can read articles about viewing these planets HERE and HERE.   

Photographer Ken Christison captured the image below of the planetary trio despite the presence of clouds in the sky. The photo gives you a good sense of the brightness and size of each planet, helpful for separating them out from everything else in the nighttime sky.

Note that the positions of the planets will change somewhat during the night and from night to night.