Have you seen Mercury yet?

Live in the Northern Hemisphere? If so and you’ve never seen the planet Mercury before – or even if you have – take advantage of your golden opportunity to see Mercury after sunset these next few weeks. Late February and early March, 2019, showcase Mercury’s best appearance in the evening sky for this year for northerly latitudes. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you might glimpse Mercury, too, but it’ll be tougher. Your best evening view of Mercury will come in October 2019.

No matter where you are on Earth, here’s how to find Mercury. Make sure you have an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset, and, if possible, perch yourself on top of a hill or balcony. Then, as dusk deepens into darkness, look for Mercury to pop out low in the sky, and close to the sunset point on the horizon. You might see Mercury with the eye alone an hour or so after sunset. With binoculars, you can spot Mercury even earlier.

At mid-northern latitudes, Mercury follows the sun beneath the horizon about 1 1/3 hours after sundown. At Earth’s equator (0 degrees latitude), Mercury sets about one hour after the sun; and at temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Mercury only stays out for about 40 minutes after sunset.

Click here for a sky almanac, giving you Mercury’s setting time in your sky.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | EarthSky friend Radu Anghel in Bacau, Romania caught Mercury after sunset on February 17, 2019. He said it was about an hour after sunset. Thank you, Radu!

Mercury is often said to be elusive. Some people say they’ve never seen it. But that’s not because Mercury is faint. In fact, Mercury is super bright right now, shining some six times more brilliantly than a 1st-magnitude star.

Even so, even when it’s this bright, Mercury isn’t necessarily easy to see. That’s because Mercury only appears in the sky after sunset or before sunrise, when its luster is tarnished by the glow of twilight. Mercury, the innermost planet, orbits the sun inside of Earth’s orbit and is often lost in the glare of the sun. But, at opportune times – like now, for the Northern Hemisphere – you can see Mercury fairly easily, if you go outside and look west after sunset.

At present, Mercury is nearing the outer edge of its orbit, as seen from Earth. In fact, one week from now – on February 27, 2019 – Mercury will reach its greatest elongation (maximum angular separation) of 18 degrees east of the setting sun.

Although Mercury’s greatest elongation measures the same in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, Mercury stays out later after dark in the Northern Hemisphere.

That’s because the ecliptic – the pathway of the sun, moon and planets in front of the constellations of the zodiac – hits the evening horizon at a steep angle in late winter, yet at a shallow angle in late summer. Therefore, this evening apparition of Mercury is particularly favorable for the Northern Hemisphere and not so favorable for the Southern Hemisphere. From the Northern Hemisphere now, Mercury should be rather easy pickings.

Mercury is bright in late February, but slowly dimming as seen from Earth, because of its waning phase. Yes, because it’s an inner planet, Mercury shows phases, like a tiny moon. You need a telescope, though, to see Mercury’s phases, though.

As the days pass this month, Mercury also stays out a little longer after sunset. By this month’s end, Mercury will set about 1 1/2 hours after the sun at mid-northern latitudes. After Mercury sets, look for the zodiacal light.

An inferior planet – or a planet that orbits the sun inside of Earth’s orbit – never strays very far from the sun in Earth’s sky. An inferior planet, such as Mercury or Venus, reaches its maximum angular distance in the evening sky at its greatest eastern elongation.

Bottom line: We’re now in the midst of Mercury’s best evening showing for 2019, for the Northern Hemisphere. At northerly latitudes, watch for Mercury to show itself at early evening – near the sunset point – from now until early March 2019.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2GAKJ6C

Live in the Northern Hemisphere? If so and you’ve never seen the planet Mercury before – or even if you have – take advantage of your golden opportunity to see Mercury after sunset these next few weeks. Late February and early March, 2019, showcase Mercury’s best appearance in the evening sky for this year for northerly latitudes. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you might glimpse Mercury, too, but it’ll be tougher. Your best evening view of Mercury will come in October 2019.

No matter where you are on Earth, here’s how to find Mercury. Make sure you have an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset, and, if possible, perch yourself on top of a hill or balcony. Then, as dusk deepens into darkness, look for Mercury to pop out low in the sky, and close to the sunset point on the horizon. You might see Mercury with the eye alone an hour or so after sunset. With binoculars, you can spot Mercury even earlier.

At mid-northern latitudes, Mercury follows the sun beneath the horizon about 1 1/3 hours after sundown. At Earth’s equator (0 degrees latitude), Mercury sets about one hour after the sun; and at temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Mercury only stays out for about 40 minutes after sunset.

Click here for a sky almanac, giving you Mercury’s setting time in your sky.

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | EarthSky friend Radu Anghel in Bacau, Romania caught Mercury after sunset on February 17, 2019. He said it was about an hour after sunset. Thank you, Radu!

Mercury is often said to be elusive. Some people say they’ve never seen it. But that’s not because Mercury is faint. In fact, Mercury is super bright right now, shining some six times more brilliantly than a 1st-magnitude star.

Even so, even when it’s this bright, Mercury isn’t necessarily easy to see. That’s because Mercury only appears in the sky after sunset or before sunrise, when its luster is tarnished by the glow of twilight. Mercury, the innermost planet, orbits the sun inside of Earth’s orbit and is often lost in the glare of the sun. But, at opportune times – like now, for the Northern Hemisphere – you can see Mercury fairly easily, if you go outside and look west after sunset.

At present, Mercury is nearing the outer edge of its orbit, as seen from Earth. In fact, one week from now – on February 27, 2019 – Mercury will reach its greatest elongation (maximum angular separation) of 18 degrees east of the setting sun.

Although Mercury’s greatest elongation measures the same in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, Mercury stays out later after dark in the Northern Hemisphere.

That’s because the ecliptic – the pathway of the sun, moon and planets in front of the constellations of the zodiac – hits the evening horizon at a steep angle in late winter, yet at a shallow angle in late summer. Therefore, this evening apparition of Mercury is particularly favorable for the Northern Hemisphere and not so favorable for the Southern Hemisphere. From the Northern Hemisphere now, Mercury should be rather easy pickings.

Mercury is bright in late February, but slowly dimming as seen from Earth, because of its waning phase. Yes, because it’s an inner planet, Mercury shows phases, like a tiny moon. You need a telescope, though, to see Mercury’s phases, though.

As the days pass this month, Mercury also stays out a little longer after sunset. By this month’s end, Mercury will set about 1 1/2 hours after the sun at mid-northern latitudes. After Mercury sets, look for the zodiacal light.

An inferior planet – or a planet that orbits the sun inside of Earth’s orbit – never strays very far from the sun in Earth’s sky. An inferior planet, such as Mercury or Venus, reaches its maximum angular distance in the evening sky at its greatest eastern elongation.

Bottom line: We’re now in the midst of Mercury’s best evening showing for 2019, for the Northern Hemisphere. At northerly latitudes, watch for Mercury to show itself at early evening – near the sunset point – from now until early March 2019.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2GAKJ6C