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A sky-watcher gazes at Mercury (lower left) and Venus in the evening sky over Germany in October 2009.( T0 B0 t# d$ `* R1 n6 ^1 w
/ ?& O* \: V' q0 y6 G7 a1 [7 X: fAndrew Fazekas4 v+ }. n9 t2 h% G( X
for National Geographic News6 ~5 E7 G7 s) f8 M' x: K, Y( c
Published April 1, 2010
( l' r' @" n; O6 CNormally elusive, Mercury will be a "star" for most of April, shining brightly near Venus above the evening skyline.5 {9 p* a6 E+ l1 _# f
Both planets will be visible to the naked eye for the next two weeks as bright, starlike objects that will dominate the low western sky shortly after sunset.% {2 }$ C. Z+ {: W
"From a place with a low horizon, one should be able to get a nice view of these two planets hanging in the darkening sky like gems," said Geza Gyuk, staff astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.! W# X8 M; ?' _# W
As the cosmic duo climb higher, the'll reach conjunction—their closest approach to each other—on Saturday and Sunday.4 I- t' b% S* ~" c' E$ p8 x, \
Those nights the two planets will seem to be separated by only three degrees, or the equivalent of six full-moon disks.8 }1 ^1 ~! Q( ~: U% g6 B
Venus Guides Eyes to Mercury
6 c# z/ H0 _* ?9 ^$ M4 ^Of the five planets visible to the naked eye, Mercury is usually the most challenging to see, because it never wanders far from the sun.! y$ h, X. T4 j- ` h
The innermost planet, Mercury orbits the sun so closely that a year lasts just 88 Earth days. (See pictures of Mercury taken by a passing spacecraft.)
7 c- Q! j$ G& u' z% v# L) B% ^' m8 IAs seen from Earth, Mercury tightly hugs the horizon, and it appears faint because it's swathed in the sun's glare.% Y L; V6 i! e
"Most people never get to see Mercury, because it ... isn't very bright. But this conjunction is coming around Mercury's maximum elongation [the planet's farthest angle away from the sun] of 20 degrees on April 8," Gyuk said.; }3 U7 T7 u$ I. c4 Y0 n
Brilliant Venus will serve as a guidepost for sky-watchers to easily find tiny Mercury. (Related: "Neptune Easier to Spot Now, Thanks to Jupiter.")
% `: }6 ^; S: H4 Y) a"Weather permitting," Gyuk said, "I'm certainly going to be out with my kids looking for Mercury!"+ K5 i$ z) s J9 P' J. `/ b
Full Planetary Collection
7 f) M* ?) u# _; ^# \5 s6 VAs an added bonus, planet-hunters already out to spy Venus and Mercury will be able to see all five naked-eye planets in a single night.$ P& e4 x" z7 p" T3 Y. n2 O6 C
As darkness sets in, Mars will become visible directly overhead, appearing as a red-tinged, starlike object. A little later, Saturn will appear slightly above the eastern horizon and will rise higher during the night.
- Z2 V0 C+ _" |- |/ o(Related: "Sky-watcher Beware: Mars Email a 'Spectacular' Hoax.")1 e5 w( u4 H, _) h7 P5 |( n
Finally, the gas-giant planet Jupiter will rise in the east just before sunrise |