Mercury To Peak at Its Highest Point During the Weekend; Here's How To Watch the Swift Planet

On September 22, Mercury will be at its highest point of the year and will have a half-lit illumination.

Mercury at Its Highest Point

Though Mercury, also referred to as the Swift Planet due to its 88-day orbit, is present in the sky all throughout the year. However, its orbital distance from the Sun makes the planet get lost in the solar glare. Because of this, the planet is only occasionally visible during twilight when it's close to Earth's sunrise or sunset.

In the coming week, Mercury will be experiencing its greatest elongation, which is an orbital point where the planet is farthest from the Sun from Earth's point of view. Mercury's greatest elongation at the east takes place when it can be seen from the western horizon shortly after the sun sets. On the other hand, its greatest elongation west entails its visibility from the eastern horizon shortly before the sun rises.

The planet will also be experiencing a dichotomy, or be half-lit. This is similar to the Moon during its last or first quarter phase.

This September 22, Mercury's greatest elongation west will take place. However, throughout the week it will be at a good skywatching position before sunrise for the entire week. It may go as high as 17 degrees above the sky at the east.

After this greatest elongation, the next one will happen on December 4, 2023. By this time, Mercury will be visible after the sun sets in the evening.

Spotting Mercury

The Swift Planet will be easier to see and shine brighter a couple of days after it reaches its peak in the sky when it undergoes its gibbous phase. It will be easiest to spot and shine the brightest from September 16 up until September 30.

To get the best view of Mercury, it is recommended to check the planet out 30 minutes before the sun rises on the 22nd up until the coming week. Finding a spot that offers an unobstructed and clear horizon would also be favorable.

Using some stargazing binoculars would also be helpful in spotting Mercury. For location-specific time recommendations, there is also a Night Sky Map & Planets Visible Tonight tool that can be used.

Aside from Mercury, Venus will also be blinking brightly above. The Regulus star from the Leo constellation may also be found between Venus and Mercury.

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.