No Mutants Allowed

I've always seen Venus, cus it's big, bright, rounded - and it is often completely alone in the sky - but I always kept my eyes peeled for Mars. You can tell planets from stars by their "flat" shine, as in - they do not twinkle. They also have a hint of shape, where stars are merely dots of light, even the brighter ones.

One of the coolest ways to make sure it is indeed Mars you see, is that it is actually Mars-colored. I'm guessing since color is light, light transmits color, and Mars (unlike Venus) is not constantly covered in clouds, it is the reddish, brownish hue that is transmitted through the reflected light, and thus can be seen with the naked eye.