Of course these planets, as any of the occasionally 5 (total) naked eye planets, can be seen from just about anywhere, especially the really bright ones like Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn. Venus at this time is in the early morning sky, rising in the east around 5 or 5:30AM. Surely a beautiful sight as it is right along side the crescent moon. Mercury is a far more difficult challenge. Current it is very near to the sun, rising just prior to it.
“...can be seen from just about anywhere...”
True enough... but it’s all the billions of pinpoints of light BEHIND them that I’d never seen until those summers long ago.
(For some reason, I hear the theme song from Star Trek (The Original Series) playing in my head right now)
If you look at Venus with magnification, as I am sure many here have, it is between half illuminated down to a crescent illumination.
Clear evening sky here so just went out to look at Jupiter and Saturn a few minutes ago. Maybe a degree apart, maybe a bit more. Jupiter is much brighter.
Today's Arlo and Janis cartoon has Arlo going outside with a flashlight to get a look at Jupiter and Saturn, then coming back to tell Janis "Saturn and Jupiter are a little closer tonight!" But Janis is already in bed. She must go to bed very early--at a reasonable bedtime Jupiter and Saturn would already be below the horizon.