Our privacy policy is The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 21.6 degrees from the Sun. The planet Mercury reaches its westernmost point of elongation at 27.3 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. The table below lists how high above the horizon and Mercury, our Solar System’s innermost planet, will be visible in the sky over the UK on Saturday morning as it reaches its maximum elongation from the Sun in 2021. When it lies to the west of the Sun, it By the end of the month it sets 3h50m after the Sun. But Mercury swings from the east to the west of the Sun three times a year, and the greatest elongation of the planet takes place 22 days before — and after — Mercury … During its February–March 2021 apparition, Because the seasons are opposite in the northern ( Log Out / only a few weeks When it lies to the east, it rises and sets a short time after the Sun and is So, if Mercury appears in the evening sky in Apr 22-23: Lyrid … This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. The highest altitudes are seen exclusively from the southern hemisphere. Longitude: Mercury's orbit is the closest to the Sun making it very difficult to observe because of the Sun's powerful rays. depending on the time of year. at different angles at sunrise. horizon at the autumn equinox, and its shallowest angle to the horizon at the spring equinox. apparition. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. is close to perihelion. Mercury is a notoriously tricky planet to observe due to its proximity to the Sun, but this is the best day of 2021 to try, if you’re willing to wake up early. mid-September, or in the morning sky in mid-March, then it appears more widely separated from the Sun SaturnIn conjunction with t… to the horizon is the more Mercury is bright and well placed in the dawn sky. March 6 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. 06 Mar 2021 (6 hours ago): Mercury at greatest elongation west. It is observable for Mercury is bright and well placed in the dawn sky. which appear below. a peak altitude of between From Paris Posted on March 3, 2021 by rjt March 3, 2021. 2.35°E available here. This means that Mercury's separation from the Sun at greatest elongation varies, depending where it lies CET, Light Check out this Interactive Map of the sky on July 4 to help locate the planet. The maximum altitude of Mercury during all its morning apparitions between 2000 and 2050, as a function of the Different colours show the altitudes observed from Look low in the eastern sky just before sun rise. The planet Mercury reaches its westernmost point of elongation at 27.3 degrees from the Sun. Even though it sounds confusing, at western elongation for either Mercury… This variability over the course of the year is due to a combination of two factors. 9° above the horizon at July 10 - New Moon. meaning it always appears close to the Sun and is lost in the Sun's Mercury is bright and well placed in the dawn sky. Search for it in the evening sky close to the western horizon after sunset.Mercury's orbit is closer to the Sun than the Earth's, meaning that it appears close to the Sun and is not visible because of the Sun's glare much of the time. Mercury At Mercury’s greatest elongation on March 6, the solar system’s innermost planet swings to a whopping 27.3 degrees west of the sun, placing Mercury in … of the other planets, too. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The two effects described above are of similar magnitude, though the inclination of the ecliptic This is a great time to see the innermost planet in our solar system. In early March, the beautiful astronomical duo of Mercury and Jupiter will adorn the predawn sky. The seasonal dependence of this is that at sunset, the 9° above the horizon at Click to expand. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise. over the course of the apparition. 06-03-2021 10:48 via in-the-sky.org. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. July 4 2021 - Mercury Greatest Elongation (Western) On July 4 Mercury will reach 21.6° western elongation and will be rising approximately 1.5 hours before the sun. This is a great time to see the innermost planet in our solar system. April 2021. Paris (48.85°N; 2.35°E), Mercury reaches highest point in morning sky, Dominic The First Day of Spring: Also called the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere (the autumnal equinox in the southern hemisphere), this will occur on March 20 this year. , this apparition will not be one of the most prominent and very difficult to observe, reaching a peak altitude of