Mercury nearing superior conjunction

Event Date: January 16th

Time: 6:30 AM

Brief

   Mercury has spent close to two months west of the Sun.  It had a good apparition early last month followed by a slow descent towards the Sun-- that while staying unaided-eye visible for weeks to follow.  As we even get that far, let us view here using the image of the Sun and Mercury, with the Sun between us and the elusive planet.  Although that is not noticeable using the image, considering that either conjunction would make Mercury invisible to us, I will include the orbit.  Notice once again, that the part of the orbit further from us is thinner than the part closer, which is thicker.  Mercury's label points to it before the Sun and closer to the thin portion.

click on image to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp.

Detailed

Although we have lost it over the last two weeks to the glare of the Sun, as will be the case for another few days, January will end with the planet starting its best evening apparition of the year.  Although such is happening before the March equinox, that can still be a good thing: the sky gets darker earlier during the mid-winter weeks in comparison to the two sandwiching the equinox.  Also, Mercury will be at perihelion at almost the same time as greatest elongation in February, giving it an impressive showing in dark skies.  After that, while starting to dim more and more quickly over the next couple of weeks to follow, Mercury eventually passes between us and the Sun for inferior conjunction; We will lose it quickly in brightness and evenutally, visibility, of course.  Be ready for that apparition, because the one to follow in the morning will be poor, with the planet south of the Sun instead of north.