The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicLook to the west after sunset and you may be able to see five of the planets. Jupiter will be high in the sky and should appear to be the brightest object high in the west. Look down towards the right and you can see Saturn, Mars (dimly), brilliant white Venus and, low on the horizon, Mercury.
Also notable are the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters - the cluster of stars below Mercury.
This image was created for a viewer located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, looking at the sky at 20:00 UT May 3 2002. Note that the size of the planets is not to scale.