If you have an open horizon to the east on Tuesday, February 26, you’ll have the opportunity to spot Mercury and Venus together. Both inner planets will team up in their closest approach and appear to be about a degree apart in the pre-dawn sky. For those with a telescope, this will be an excellent time to catch both planets in different phases at the same time in the eyepiece!
For many of us, the chances to spot the swift inner planet – Mercury – are few and far between. While Mercury traditionally gets about as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper, it’s proximity to the Sun makes it hard to see either right after sunset or just before the dawn. Low clouds on the horizon, sky light, obstructing trees or buildings… many things combine to make Mercury notoriously difficult to observe. However, when a bright star – or in this case, a planet – is nearby, the task becomes a whole lot easier!
Have fun!
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