Mercury shall be farthest from the solar on Tuesday (Aug. 19), granting early risers an ideal alternative to identify the fleet-footed world considerably separated from the glare of our mother or father star.
Mercury treads such a decent orbit across the solar that it by no means strays removed from the horizon. This makes it one of many trickiest planets to see, particularly in comparison with Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, whose distant orbits past Earth enable them to look excessive within the evening sky relying on the time of 12 months.
Astronomers name Mercury’s farthest level from our the sun in the morning sky the point of “greatest western elongation,” which will next occur at 8:25 a.m. EDT (12:25 GMT) on Tuesday.
Greatest elongation is the ideal time to spot Mercury during its morning appearance. Even then, it won’t climb very high. For observers in New York, for example, the planet will rise a mere 16 degrees above the eastern horizon by the time the sun slips into view, making it a challenging yet rewarding target to hunt through the summer sky.
To spot Mercury, look to the east in the hour preceding dawn. The rocky world will shine low among the stars of the constellation Cancer, with Venus and Jupiter forming a line to its upper right, below a 14%-lit waning crescent moon.
The light of the rising sun will begin to swamp Mercury when it is a mere 10 degrees above the horizon, about the width of your outstretched fist, so be sure to find a location with a clear view to the east to give yourself the best chance of spotting the elusive planet.
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Mercury will seem as a vibrant “morning star” to the unaided eye on the morning of Aug. 19. Viewing the rocky world by way of a telescope with an aperture of 4 inches or extra beneath good atmospheric situations might reveal Mercury’s moon-like phases. On the morning of Aug. 19, the world will seem as a tiny 41%-lit crescent, although utmost care should be taken to by no means level your telescope close to the rising solar, as doing so can completely harm your imaginative and prescient.
Stargazers concerned with seeing the phases of Mercury and different photo voltaic system worlds up shut ought to try our information to the finest telescopes obtainable in 2025
Editor’s Note: If you seize a picture of Mercury and wish to share it with Space.com’s readers, then please ship your picture(s), feedback, and your title and site to spacephotos@area.com.