Without a doubt, the most difficult to spot of the "bright" planets is little Mercury. It is always close to the sun, most times lost in the solar glare either directly after sunset or right before sunrise. For most of December, curious skywatchers who have a low southwestern horizon can find Mercury close to the horizon at about 5:40 p.m. The best dates to try are those around December 18. On the 18th, the thin crescent Moon floats just above the elusive world. Bring out the binoculars for a better view.
A couple days after Christmas, Mercury drops rapidly towards the sun. By January 4th, it passes between the Earth and the Sun.
Such is our view from Earth ...
No comments:
Post a Comment