To the naked eye, the most evident defining feature of the planets is their motion across the Night sky.
Although the motions of the planets may be described as simple elliptical orbits around the. "The Observer\'s Guide to Planetary Motion" takes each planet and its moons (if it has them) in turn and describes how the geometry of the Solar System gives rise to its observed motions.
It was this motion that allowed ancient civilizations to single them out as different from fixed stars.
To the naked eye, the most evident defining feature of the planets is their motion across the Night sky