Today Mercury reaches maximum elongation, the furthest point it will reach from the Sun in the sky and the highest it will be above the sunset this apparition. The planet is easily visible as a bright, starlike object about 15° above the setting Sun as the sky grows dark. Over the next couple weeks Mercury will slide back into the sunset, heading for inferior conjunction on Jul 28.
Mercury Events for 2012 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date UT | Date HST | Separation | |||
| Superior Conjunction | Feb 7 | 08:54UT | Feb 6 | 22:54HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Mar 5 | 08:59UT | Mar 4 | 22:59HST | 18.2°E |
| Inferior Conjunction | Mar 21 | 19:19UT | Mar 21 | 09:19HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Apr 18 | 16:59UT | Apr 18 | 06:59HST | 27.5°W |
| Superior Conjunction | May 27 | 11:14UT | May 27 | 01:14HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | July 1 | 01:59UT | Jun 30 | 15:59HST | 25.7°E |
| Inferior Conjunction | Jul 28 | 19:54UT | Jul 28 | 09:54HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Aug 16 | 11:59UT | Aug 16 | 01:59HST | 18.7°W |
| Superior Conjunction | Sep 10 | 12:37UT | Sep 10 | 02:37HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Oct 26 | 21:59UT | Oct 26 | 11:59HST | 24.1°E |
| Inferior Conjunction | Nov 17 | 15:42UT | Nov 17 | 05:42HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Dec 4 | 22:59UT | Dec 4 | 12:59HST | 20.6°W |
| Source: NASA Sky Calendar and the Mercury Chaser’s Calculator | |||||
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