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[Centaur]

Mercury will soon be jumping into our pre-dawn skies as a December Morning Star. It passed through Inferior Conjunction between the Earth and Sun on November 24. It will achieve a Greatest Western Elongation of 21.1° on December 12 and Superior Conjunction on January 26. The celestial geometry will be far more favorable for northern hemisphere observers than the recently concluded evening apparition. We’ll just have to brave the cold and early hour.

I’ve created a graphic that demonstrates Mercury’s appearance in the eastern sky 30 minutes before sunrise from November 27 to January 9 from Chicago's Adler Planetarium, although it should well serve all in the northern hemisphere. To see it, click:
www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Not many have observed the elusive planet, and most are just surprised and amazed that they have actually seen it while with me during a session. I myself did not really get a good look at it until recently and I too was amazed.

Not much to see in a telescope, but one can certainly see it's phase and orange/reddish color in the eyepiece. Always a treat to catch.

Thanks Curt for the heads up on the Mercury visibility next month...and if the December winds are kind...I will be on the lookout...

[Centaur]

admin said:

Not many have observed the elusive planet...

There’s a legend (possibly apocryphal) that Copernicus never saw Mercury. You may have one-upped him, Joe. I remember trying to see markings on Mercury back in the days when it was believed it kept one face toward the Sun. No luck. Still, it was fun trying. The trick to finding Mercury is knowing when it will be visible and in what direction to look. Many have seen it, but assumed it to be a fixed star. When near its greatest elongation from the Sun in December it will appear about the same visual magnitude as the brightest fixed star, Sirius, but will be competing with twilight. This current Morning apparition should be a good one. With the Sun rising so late at this time of year, many folks will be up before dawn who wouldn’t have been during other seasons. Those who prefer evening apparitions will have fine opportunities in February and June of 2006.