The planets of our solar system are ungrateful sights in binoculars. Although they are the closest celestial bodies besides the Moon, they require high magnification. Even today, the classic piece of equipment for them is a long focal length refractor telescope. Binoculars hardly reveal any details, but they can show the planets as small circles which thus differ significantly from the stars. Even large binoculars still struggle with resolving even the most striking surface features.
If you want to know which planets are visible right now, you can find out by using an astronomical yearbook. Many newspapers also print monthly sky surveys. In addition, you can easily create finder charts on your own with a computer.
