Venus and Mercury in early February
Tuesday, February 6.
Do you have an unobstructed view to the west?
If so, you’re in luck, because that’s where you’ll find the planets Mercury and Venus in early February. As soon as the sky gets dark, look for a dazzling point of light over the sunset spot on the horizon. That’ll Venus, the brightest celestial body in the sky after the sun and moon.
Venus is your ticket to finding Mercury. As the closest planet to the sun, Mercury is often hidden in the sun’s glare. Around now, though, Mercury is well placed for observation. This evening, you too can become one of the few people on Earth to have seen Mercury, while knowing that it’s Mercury you’re seeing. As twilight begins to fade tonight, look for Mercury below Venus in the west, the two planets will be about six degrees apart – that’s about the width of three fingers held at arm’s length.
In our sky, Venus appears much brighter than Mercury. But Mercury is as bright as the sky’s brightest stars, and it’s the only bright point of light near Venus. Keep in mind that you have to catch Mercury at late dusk, and that this planet will be hovering very close to your western horizon.
Mercury will drop out of the evening sky later this month, but Venus will remain the evening “star” for many months to come.
Our thanks today to Research Corporation, a foundation for the advancement of science.
For the setting times for Mercury and Venus at your location, and to visualize the position of these two planets over your horizon at dusk, we recommend the following sites:
Setting times of the sun, Mercury and Venus — Old Farmer’s Almanac
Setting times of the sun, Mercury and Venus — US Naval Observatory
Your Sky planetarium program by John Walker
