A Very Thin Moon and Mercury

This one will be a challenge. This evening a very thin Moon may be visible just below Mercury as the Sun sets. The Moon will be a mere 1.3% illuminated and only 7° above the horizon at sunset. Mercury may provide a bit of a signpost that can be used to find the Moon. It will be located 2.5° directly above the Moon, shining at 2.8 magnitude. As Mercury is heading for inferior conjunction, it too is a thin crescent. The pair will be 10° south from the point at which the Sun slips below the horizon.

Author: Andrew

An electrical engineer, amateur astronomer, and diver, living and working on the island of Hawaiʻi.

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