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 for this evening apparition. The planet is easily visible as a bright, starlike object about 18° above the setting Sun as twilight begins. Over the next couple weeks Mercury will slide back into the sunset, heading for inferior conjunction on March 4th.
Mercury Events for 2013 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date UT | Date HST | Separation | |||
| Superior Conjunction | Jan 18 | 08:44UT | Jan 17 | 22:44HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Feb 16 | 20:59UT | Feb 16 | 10:59HST | 18.1°E |
| Inferior Conjunction | Mar 4 | 12:55UT | Mar 4 | 02:55HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Mar 31 | 21:59UT | Mar 31 | 11:59HST | 27.8°W |
| Superior Conjunction | May 11 | 20:57UT | May 11 | 10:57HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Jun 12 | 16:59UT | Jun 12 | 06:59HST | 24.3°E |
| Inferior Conjunction | Jul 9 | 18:39UT | Jul 9 | 08:39HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Jul 30 | 08:59UT | Jul 29 | 22:59HST | 19.6°W |
| Superior Conjunction | Aug 24 | 20:37UT | Aug 24 | 10:37HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Oct 9 | 09:59UT | Oct 8 | 23:59HST | 25.3°E |
| Inferior Conjunction | Nov 1 | 20:12UT | Nov 1 | 10:12HST | |
| Maximum Elongation | Nov 18 | 01:59UT | Nov 17 | 15:59HST | 19.5°W |
| Superior Conjunction | Dec 29 | 06:00UT | Dec 28 | 20:00HST | |
| Source: NASA Sky Calendar and the Mercury Chaser’s Calculator | |||||
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