Mercury Can Be Viewed the Next 3 Weeks

October 19th, 2008

Typically when I see that a celestial object can be viewed easily at any time I try to take a gander at it. According to Space.com, Mercury isn’t easily viewed very often.

Nonetheless, during these next three weeks we will be presented with an excellent opportunity to view Mercury in the early morning dawn sky. Mercury is called an “inferior planet” because its orbit is nearer to the sun than the Earth’s. Therefore, it always appears from our vantage point (as Asimov indicated) to be in the same general direction as the sun.

So…if you are an early riser, or you happen to be on a vampire schedule you should be able to see Mercury these next few weeks in the sky. Early morning is when you can see it after you get your dog supplies to get your pooch ready for the day.

Wanting to view it, and actually knowing how to view it are 2 different things entirely. I’m no professional astronomer so it isn’t like I have great tips on how to view this bad boy so taking the advice from Space.com is the way to go if you are going to try and sneak a peek at this elusive planet. Skim down to the last couple sections in that article to find out exactly when to view and how to get the best look.