Posted:
January 28, 2021
By Richard Nowell
Mercury will be visible in the evening sky this week until Jan. 31.
On Sunday, January 24, Mercury reached its greatest eastern elongation of 18.6 degrees from the Sun and was at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky.
Look above the horizon in the west-southwest direction. If you have a compass, its bearing is about 250 degrees. Or use a smart phone app like Stellarium to locate it.
Mercury can be difficult to find at our northern latitudes in Canada, wait until 6:15 or 6:30 p.m., about an hour after the Sun sets and the blue glow on the western horizon fades and it gets dark. But don’t wait too long, since it will set below the horizon by 7 p.m.