Mercury, Venus and the first-quarter moon– in addition to the stars Spica and Arcturus– will appear to form a straight line in the evening sky on Sept. 13, 2021. This sky map shows the view from New York City at roughly 7 p.m. regional time. (Image credit: SkySafari app)Of the five “naked-eye” planets in Earths night sky, Mercury tends to be the most hard to spot because the tiny planet tends to stick around in the suns intense glare. Tonight (Sept. 13) Mercury will reach its farthest separation from the sun as seen from Earth, likewise known as its greatest eastern elongation, which makes this the finest night to look for the world during its existing night phantom. After tonight, the world will appear to make a small U-turn in our night sky and creep closer to the sun once again. To safely see Mercury, wait till sundown– its proximity to the sun can make it harmful to observe without correct eye protection.Mercury has graced our night skies given that August, having actually emerged from behind the sun– a position that astronomers call superior solar combination, where the planet is not visible from Earth– on Aug. 1. It has actually gradually inched farther from the sun every night considering that, and after reaching its greatest eastern elongation tonight, the inner world will begin to glide closer to the sun till it again disappears in the suns brilliant glare in early October. Related: When, where and how to see the worlds in the 2021 night skyMercury will reach inferior solar conjunction, passing in front of the sun from Earths viewpoint, on Oct. 9. It will conceal out in the suns glare, unobservable to the human eye, from late September through mid-October, when it will emerge once again as a “morning star” visible prior to daybreak. Skywatchers in or near the Southern Hemisphere will have the very best views of Mercurys greatest eastern elongation tonight since the planet is higher in the sky for a longer amount of time after sunset in these areas. From mid-northern latitudes and up, Mercury may be too low on the horizon to area by the time the sun sets. In New York City, for instance, Mercury sets tonight at 7:55 p.m. regional time, just 48 minutes after sundown, according to Time and Dates night sky calculator. Mercury doesnt set in Miami up until 8:34 p.m. local time, while the sun sets there more than an hour earlier, at 7:26 p.m local time. Those observing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, will see Mercury set at 8:52 p.m. regional time, more than 2 hours after sunset.After sunset on Monday, Sept. 13, Mercury (orbit displayed in red) will be simply hours away from its widest separation, 27 degrees east of the sun, and its maximum visibility for the existing phantom. On Tuesday night it will be nearly as extended. With Mercury placed well below the evening ecliptic (green line) in the west-southwestern sky, this look of the world will be a bad one for Northern Hemisphere observers however will offer exceptional views for observers near the equator and in the Southern Hemisphere. The optimal viewing times at mid-northern latitudes fall around 7:30 p.m. local time. Seen in a telescope (inset) the world will show a subsiding, half-illuminated phase. (Image credit: Starry Night)If you arent able to catch a view of Mercury during its present night phantom, youll have another chance to see the elusive little world when it goes back to the morning sky in late October. Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation from the sun on Oct. 24, after which it will bust another U-turn and head towards another superior solar combination on Nov. 28. Email Hanneke Weitering at [email protected] or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Tonight (Sept. 13) Mercury will reach its farthest separation from the sun as seen from Earth, likewise known as its greatest eastern elongation, which makes this the finest night to look for the planet throughout its existing evening phantom. To safely see Mercury, wait up until sunset– its distance to the sun can make it hazardous to observe without correct eye protection.Mercury has graced our evening skies since August, having emerged from behind the sun– a position that astronomers call remarkable solar combination, where the world is not visible from Earth– on Aug. 1. Mercury doesnt set in Miami till 8:34 p.m. regional time, while the sun sets there more than an hour earlier, at 7:26 p.m local time. Those observing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, will see Mercury set at 8:52 p.m. local time, more than two hours after sunset.After sundown on Monday, Sept. 13, Mercury (orbit shown in red) will be simply hours away from its widest separation, 27 degrees east of the sun, and its optimum visibility for the existing apparition.