This Wednesday (12th June) the planet Mercury will be at its greatest elongation from the Sun. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, which means our star will often obscure this small planet from view. On Wednesday night however, Mercury will be at its greatest separation from the Sun in the sky, meaning it is the best night to observe it. Look North West just after sunset (which is around 9.20pm). Mercury will be above Venus in the sky, both sitting quite low on the horizon. It’s easy to tell these planets apart though; Venus will be about six times brighter than Mercury! Remember: Never look directly into the Sun and never use binoculars or telescopes until the Sun has entirely set! Directly viewing the Sun can cause instant and permanent serious eye damage.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:19:42 +0000
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