Credit: Mariner 10

MERCURY

MERCURY can only be seen low in the east before sunrise, or low in the west after sunset (about the time of beginning or end of civil twilight). It is visible in the mornings between the following approximate dates: February 13 to March 8, June 17 to July 22, and October 14 to November 10. The planet is brighter at the end of each period, (the best conditions in northern latitudes occur in the second half of October and in southern latitudes from late February to mid-March). It is visible in the evenings between the following approximate dates: January 2 to January 31, April 24 to May 29, August 8 to September 30 and December 13 to December 31. The planet is brighter at the beginning of each period, (the best conditions in northern latitudes occur in the first half of May and in southern latitudes from late August to mid-September).

DO NOT CONFUSE:

(1) Venus with Mercury from late February to early April and mid-August to mid-September; Venus is the brighter object.

(2) Mercury with Saturn in mid-August and with Mars for most of September; on both occasions Mercury is the brighter object.

(3) Jupiter with Mercury in late December when Jupiter is the brighter object.

Jan. 8

20^h 09.2^m

-22^o 14'

-0.8^m

0^h 17^m

2.2^o

Jan. 16

21^h 00.4^m

-18^o 26'

-0.8^m

0^h 49^m

6.5^o

Jan. 24

21^h 36.5^m

-14^o 01'

-0.3^m

1^h 04^m

9.1^o

Feb. 1

21^h 37.8^m

-11^o 30'

+1.9^m

0^h 32^m

4.8^o

Feb. 13

20^h 48.7^m

-14^o 18'

+2.2^m

0^h 19^m

2.8^o

Feb. 25

20^h 49.0^m

-16^o 43'

+0.4^m

0^h 29^m

4.0^o

Mar. 8

21^h 35.2^m

-15^o 27'

+0.1^m

0^h 11^m

1.7^o

Apr. 25

2^h 49.1^m

+17^o 11'

-1.4^m

0^h 24^m

3.4^o

May 7

4^h 17.4^m

+23^o 47'

-0.3^m

1^h 24^m

11.4^o

May 15

4^h 58.9^m

+25^o 04'

+0.6^m

1^h 28^m

11.7^o

May 27

5^h 23.0^m

+23^o 31'

+2.5^m

0^h 34^m

4.4^o

June 28

4^h 59.7^m

+18^o 56'

+1.0^m

0^h 16^m

2.2^o

July 6

5^h 31.2^m

+20^o 56'

+0.1^m

0^h 33^m

4.5^o

July 18

6^h 54.5^m

+23^o 02'

-1.1^m

0^h 23^m

3.0^o

Aug. 19

11^h 05.0^m

+6^o 37'

-0.3^m

0^h 03^m

0.5^o

Aug. 27

11^h 48.5^m

+0^o 51'

+0.0^m

0^h 04^m

0.7^o

Sept. 4

12^h 25.7^m

-4^o 27'

+0.1^m

0^h 02^m

0.3^o

Oct. 14

12^h 29.4^m

-2^o 51'

+1.4^m

0^h 41^m

6.6^o

Oct. 22

12^h 42.5^m

-2^o 31'

-0.5^m

1^h 12^m

11.4^o

Oct. 30

13^h 21.0^m

-6^o 20'

-0.8^m

0^h 58^m

9.0^o

Nov. 7

14^h 08.2^m

-11^o 24'

-0.9^m

0^h 30^m

4.5^o

Dec. 25

19^h 25.8^m

-24^o 09'

-0.7^m

0^h 25^m

3.1^o

Dec. 29

19^h 50.9^m

-22^o 56'

-0.7^m

0^h 39^m

4.8^o

Jan. 2, 2009

20^h 13.1^m

-21^o 24'

-0.6^m

0^h 51^m

6.4^o