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 sunrise for this morning apparition. The planet is easily visible as a bright, starlike object about 15° above the rising Sun as the twilight begins. Over the next couple weeks Mercury will slide back into the sunrise, heading for superior conjunction on September 10th.
Tag: Mercury
A Thin Moon and Mercury
Tomorrow morning a thin Moon will join Mercury in the dawn. The 4.6% illuminated Moon will be a bit under 6° from the planet, with the planet closer to the sunrise. The pair will be over 15° above the horizon at sunrise.
A Line of Planets in the Dawn
A line of bright planets will grace the dawn sky over the coming week. While Mercury has passed maximum elongation and is now headed back into the Sun’s glare, it is still 16° above the horizon at sunrise. Well above Mercury the brilliant Venus is hard to miss, 44° above the horizon at sunrise. Even higher in the sky is Jupiter, at about 67° elevation at sunrise.
Tomorrow morning will see a crescent Moon in the lineup, about 40% illuminated and above Jupiter. Over the next 7 days the Moon will work its way along the line, waning ever thinner as it goes. On the 11th the Moon will be under 2° above Jupiter, On the morning of the 13th the Moon will be very close to Venus, just over 1° away.
Mercury in the Dawn
Mercury is beginning a morning apparition this week. Look directly above the sunrise for a starlike object shining at 3.2 magnitude. The planet will be over 10° from the Sun today, rising a little further each day until maximum elongation on August 16th.
Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Today the planet Mercury passes through inferior conjunction, passing between the Sun and the Earth. In a week or so the planet will again be visible in the dawn sky, climbing higher each day. Maximum elongation will occur August 16th.
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.
Mercury Exits the Evening Sky
Mercury is ending it’s second evening apparition of 2012. Over the next few days the planet will slide into the sunset heading for inferior conjunction on July 28th and a morning apparition beginning in the first days of August.
Mercury at Maximum Elongation
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.
The Moon and Mercury
A very thin Moon will rendezvous with Mercury this evening. The pair will separated by about 8° and at the same elevation, over 20° at sunset. The Moon will be a very thin crescent, only 7% illuminated. A little over 5° north of Mercury will be Pollux, with Castor a bit further north, both stars about a magnitude dimmer than the planet which is currently about zero magnitude.
Mercury in the Sunset
Mercury is beginning an evening apparition this week. Look directly above the sunset for a starlike object shining at -1.3 magnitude. The planet will be over 10° from the Sun today, rising a little further each day until maximum elongation on July 1st.