Mercury and Venus

Back in January I mentioned that Venus was about to become prominent in the western sky after sunset. Ten weeks later it is out there, shining brightly. While that's a pretty sight, it's even better for the next week or more since it has been joined by Mercury, it's smaller but still quite bright cousin.

With the skies so clear now, and probably Friday and Saturday as well, not to mention the unseasonably warm evening air, if you have never seen Mercury before, this is an ideal opportunity. Venus is the bright beacon you simply can't miss, and Mercury is easily found by looking a few degrees to the right of Venus and down just a bit. If you extend your arm with your palm facing the sky, the width of your hand is approximately the distance between the two planets. Mercury isn't as bright as Venus, but unmistakable once you know where to look.

Here in Ottawa I would say the best time to see them is between 8:00 and 8:30, when the sky is dark enough to make both easily visible and still far enough above the horizon that low obstructions won't be in the way.

I took a picture of them with a camera phone Thursday evening a little after 8 PM. Venus comes through ok, but since Mercury was a barely brightened pixel even with an image-manipulation program, I circled its position so you can get a good idea where it is relative to Venus. Keep in mind that their position and separation will change each night. Mercury will reach its highest point in the night sky next weekend (April 10), and will then quickly swing in between us and sun to become invisible once more.