# Has anyone else been enjoying the great views of Mercury in the evening sky in recent days?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 20, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019 "2009-08-20T01:45:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/1 "2009-08-20T01:45:39Z")
It’s been quite bright, and was close to Saturn a couple of nights ago.
---
### Author:  [@ElectricZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElectricZ)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/2 "2009-08-20T17:37:17Z")
I don’t think Mercury would be close to Saturn, unless Saturn right now appears close to the sun. Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is only in the sky when the sun is up, and then the sun would make it really hard to see.
Could it be Mars you’re seeing?
---
### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/3 "2009-08-20T18:06:51Z")
According to [space.com](http://space.com), Mercury is indeed visible these days, and the viewing will be getting even better through October.
---
### Author:  [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/4 "2009-08-20T18:26:42Z")
Is that what I saw in the south - southwest sky at midnight last night? It was really bright. (I haven’t watched the excitable Jack Horkheimer on PBS lately to know what to notice up there.)
---
### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/5 "2009-08-20T19:15:54Z")
> [@salinqmind](#):
>
> Is that what I saw in the south - southwest sky at midnight last night? It was really bright. (I haven’t watched the excitable Jack Horkheimer on PBS lately to know what to notice up there.)
I just checked [space.com](http://space.com), because I’ve been seeing the same thing, and it’s Jupiter. Mercury can’t be visible at midnight, it’s too close to the sun.
---
### Author:  [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/6 "2009-08-20T19:34:57Z")
> [@ElectricZ](#):
>
> I don’t think Mercury would be close to Saturn, unless Saturn right now appears close to the sun.
Why does it strike you as unlikely that Saturn would be close to the Sun? It passes through conjunction every year.
> [@ElecticZ](#):
>
> Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is only in the sky when the sun is up, and then the sun would make it really hard to see.
When near elongation Mercury is easily visible during deep twilight. How else would it have been known in ancient times?
---
### Author:  [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/7 "2009-08-20T20:23:03Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#):
>
> When near elongation Mercury is easily visible during deep twilight. How else would it have been known in ancient times?
Easily visible if there’s no light pollution. I’ve never seen Mercury and I don’t expect I ever will in these parts. ☹
---
### Author:  [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/8 "2009-08-20T21:50:17Z")
> [@cjepson](#):
>
> Easily visible if there’s no light pollution. I’ve never seen Mercury and I don’t expect I ever will in these parts. ☹
Where do you live? Light pollution isn’t usually an issue with Mercury–it’s plenty bright. I live near Chicago and I’ve seen it many times. The trick is knowing when and where to look. Watch for conjunctions, especially with the Moon or Venus–they make things a lot easier.
---
### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/9 "2009-08-20T23:56:11Z")
> [@ElectricZ](#):
>
> I don’t think Mercury would be close to Saturn, unless Saturn right now appears close to the sun. Since Mercury is so close to the sun it is only in the sky when the sun is up, and then the sun would make it really hard to see.
>
> Could it be Mars you’re seeing?
No, it’s definitely Saturn. Tomorrow night (Saturday 22 August) there will be a lovely twilight display of the thin, two-day old cresent moon beside Mercury, with Saturn just below.
---
### Author:  [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/10 "2009-08-20T23:58:33Z")
I’m pretty sure I’ve been looking at a planet for the last couple days although I don’t know which one. It’s definitely not twinkling like a star and it looks way too big to be a star.
It seemed to have a reddish tint to it but I have very bad eyes so I might have been imagining it.
I wish I had a telescope.
---
### Author:  [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/11 "2009-08-21T00:31:35Z")
There was an astronomer (perhaps amateur) talking about this on the radio last week. It was definitely Saturn which was near Mercury, and apparently it appears as a ringless Saturn because at the moment we are looking across (or is that along?) the rings’ plane.
---
### Author:  [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/12 "2009-08-21T15:50:54Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#):
>
> Where do you live? Light pollution isn’t usually an issue with Mercury–it’s plenty bright. I live near Chicago and I’ve seen it many times. The trick is knowing when and where to look. Watch for conjunctions, especially with the Moon or Venus–they make things a lot easier.
Outside of Philadelphia. Most nights, recognizing any constellation dimmer than Orion takes some creative filling in of the blanks.
If we get clear weather Saturday evening, I’ll look for the conjunction with the Moon and Saturn. I just need to find a place with a clear view to the west.
---
### Author:  [@Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interconnected_Series_of_Tubes)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-else-been-enjoying-the-great-views-of-mercury-in-the-evening-sky-in-recent-days/507019/13 "2009-08-23T05:42:26Z")
I, too, have been eyeballing that huge, bright planet in the southern sky (I’m in the northwestern US,) but assumed it was Jupiter.
Is that really Saturn? Awesome, either way.