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People at northerly latitudes will have an extremely difficult time spotting the moon and Mercury near the horizon tomorrow.
• See how low Mercury is in the sky as viewed from northerly latitudes? You'll have to search along the horizon with binoculars to spot the solar system's innermost planet - and even then you might not see this world in the glow of dawn. Just know that - no matter where you are on Earth - you need a clear and unobstructed eastern horizon when seeking for the waning crescent moon and Mercury before daybreak.
• Mercury is often called the most elusive planet. It's bright - brighter than nearly every star on the sky's dome. But, as the innermost planet in our sun's family, Mercury always stays near the sun in our sky. We only see it in the west after sunset or, as now, in the east before dawn. To see the moon with Mercury, you have to look in the right place at the right time. Right now, the right place is east before dawn - that is, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere. Mercury rises a good two hours before the sun at middle latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, but less than one hour before sunrise at mid-northern latitudes.
• Mercury is still near its greatest elongation - its greatest apparent distance from the sun on our sky's dome. The term greatest elongation specifically applies to inferior planets - the two planets that orbit the sun inside Earth's orbit - Mercury and Venus. At present, Venus is lost in the sun's glare, because this world is still transitioning into the evening sky.
• As seen from Earth, Mercury - like a dog on a leash - never strays far from the sun. Because Mercury is about 26o west of the sun right now, you might catch this (Continued on page 24)
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