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This evening, April 11th, is the greatest elongation of Mercury. That means it is a good time to see the speedy little gray planet in the sky.
What's an elongation?
Tonight, Mercury will reach greatest elongation, meaning the time when Mercury appears the farthest away from the sun in the sky. Mercury isn’t visible in the sky all year long, and usually isn't very bright. It comes into view when it is further from the sun. So tonight, we can see the planet most clearly right after sunset! A second elongation (good time to see mercury) will come just before sunrise, on May 29th.
Why is it called Mercury?
In English, Mercury is named after the messenger god from Roman mythology. Mercury has the fastest orbit (circle around the sun) of all the planets, so it can deliver messages between them. He is drawn as a man with wings on his feet to show how fast he runs.
Where is it in the sky?
If you want to find mercury, it will be the first planet you see close to the horizon, directly above the sunset. Draw a straight towards the moon, and there are Uranus, Venus and Mars lined up as well. If you have a telescope or a pair of binoculars, you might be able to see its grayish color.
Sunset Notice!
On a side note, keep an eye out for spectacular sunsets forecast on Thursday and Friday this week!