dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) (03/10/85)
The planet Mercury is now having its best evening apparition for the year. More -- after this. March 10 Mercury Mercury is sometimes called the shyest planet because it's the innermost planet in the solar system -- and never seen very far from the sun. But Mercury dares this month to climb fairly high in the western twilight sky. This apparition of Mercury is the best one in the evening all year, because this month the planet will be in the sunset sky almost straight above the sun. If you've never seen Mercury, or if you want to see it again -- look for the shyest planet now -- in the west after sunset. Venus is in the west now, too -- but it's anything but shy -- far brighter than Mercury -- and, at the moment, a bit above Mercury in the western twilight sky. Also Mars is in the west, even higher up than Venus. These three planets will linger near each other all month -- but by the time the month is over, only Mars will be visible. Mercury will be at its highest point in the west after sunset on March 17. On March 22, Mercury, Venus and a hauntingly thin crescent moon all meet in the west after sunset. The moon will be just past new -- and barely visible as the slimmest of crescents. Shortly after that, Venus and Mercury will fall together into the glare of the sun -- and disappear from our sky. In reality, both worlds are now about to pass Earth on the inside track in the race around the sun. Both Venus and Mercury will pass Earth -- to be directly in between the Earth and sun on April 3. Script by Deborah Byrd. (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin