This program reads your computer clock to determine the present time and date. If your clock says July 28, 1979, you are not going to get the location of the planets tonight! Set your clock. You should, however, choose the nearest city. Here in central Indiana, this would be Chicago. But New York City would work just fine too. Don't worry about setting the time and time zone just right. The last time I tried it just drove me to drink, now that Indiana has changed time zones. Note that the program shows a view of the sky looking straight up at the zenith. You can also switch to a view which shows the planets from above the solar system.
Alternatively, try Star Date which lists sky events for the month.
IUPUI 2009
(last updated 4-6-09)