With all of the heavenly events coming this summer, we can safely rename the Big Planet Season for the next few months. All of this year’s super moons have come and gone, but the cosmic gifts that dot the calendar are a bit more mysterious and eye-catching than the moon: some of the solar system’s largest and most distant planets become visible to the naked eye.
One planet that will create prominent real estate in the early morning and night skies in July is Mercury. You can track the smallest planet in our solar system for most of the month as it drifts to the right of a waning crescent moon and emerges on the east-northeast horizon for two days. It will be a fun exercise to follow the planet’s journey, but please don’t Tell your friends that Mercury is retrograde– because it is not like that!
This is how you see Mercury in July
The planet will become visible in the early morning sky on July 1, an hour before sunrise, but it will not be until July 4 that Mercury will experience its greatest elongation (or furthest distance from the Sun). This is a significant event, largely because Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, but its distance relative to the gas ball doesn’t really affect its visibility to viewers on Earth.
As NASA notes, the planet will finally drift “nine degrees below the waning crescent moon” in the early morning of July 7th. According to the space agency, it will “rise after the moon in the east-northeast at 4:27 p.m. ET, just 12 minutes.” before dawn begins. ”The moon will then move such that Mercury appears“ 4 degrees to the right of the waning crescent moon low on the east-northeast ”horizon on July 8, and reappears at 4:27 PM ET.
On July 10th and 11th, Mercury will be highest above the northeastern horizon, perhaps giving stargazers the best chance of catching a glimpse of the fast-moving planet. Catching Mercury at the optimal time is a matter of opinion; The BBC’s Sky at Night magazine claims July 15th, just an hour before sunrise, might be your best bet. However, there is unanimous consensus on when the planet’s visibility will decrease, as it is expected to drift past the horizon by July 18th.
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How to Identify Mercury
The planet should appear faint, although still visible to the naked eye, although binoculars or a telescope are preferable for a more memorable view. How Space.com Notes, “There has to be a clear, unobstructed horizon” when trying to see the planet. “Mercury usually appears as a bright ‘star’ with a yellowish or ocher hue.”
Keep an eye on the moon as an anchor and look either up or to the right depending on the day for the best chance of seeing the planet. And make sure to keep your calendar open for the early morning as there are more stargazing events happening on the (literal) horizon.
