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Mercury farthest from the sunrise this week
- The innermost planet Mercury reached its greatest morning elongation on December 25, 2024, being farthest from the sunrise on our sky’s dome. At that time, Mercury was 22 degrees from the sun in our sky. It was shining at -0.3 magnitude that morning.
- Mercury transitions between us and the sun pretty often, about every 116 days and its greatest elongations are not equal. Its distance from the sun on our sky’s dome varies from about 28 degrees (maximum) to 18 degrees (minimum).
- Mercury will slip away in the morning glare in January 2025.
- In the last half of December 2024, see the bright but elusive little planet Mercury near the horizon in the morning twilight. Look for it about 40 minutes before sunrise.
- At greatest elongation – December 25, 2024 – Mercury is farthest from the sunrise, and it’ll edge back toward the sunrise and become a little bit brighter, making it easier to spot in the morning twilight.
- Once spotted, notice that Mercury brightens quickly as December progresses, reaching a magnitude of around -0.4 (bright, but in bright morning twilight) by the end of the month.
- Mercury events in 2024 include being closest to Earth on January 12, inferior conjunction on April 11, and its perihelion on April 22.
- Mercury will re-emerge in our dawn around mid-month and orbit the sun every 88 days.
- For Southern Hemisphere viewers, Mercury will lie low in the bright southeastern twilight thirty minutes before sunrise, and might be difficult to spot. The little planet will lie near the bright red star Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion.
- On the mornings of December 27 and 28, 2024, the waning crescent moon will float above the eastern horizon near Mercury and Antares – the brightest star of Scorpius the Scorpion. Also nearby is the bright star Zubenelgenubi. Look for them about an 40 minutes before sunrise.
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