MERCURY View its best morning outing

摘要

On 16 August Mercury reached its maximum elongation, 27 degrees east of the Sun. This turned out to be an unfavourable evening apparition of the innermost planet as seen from the UK, owing to its very low altitude above the western horizon after sunset. However, Mercury's swift motion dictates that it hasn't taken very long to head back towards the Sun, inferior conjunction taking place on 13 September.