As temperatures fall, Mercury rises this weekend.
and the periods when it reaches its largest separation from the sun — known as greatest elongation. This happens during points in the 88-Earth-day orbit of Mercury around the sun when the tiny planet passes between Earth and our star, something that occurs roughly every 116 days — referred to as Mercury's synodic period — and then speeds ahead of our planet in its more leisurely 365-day orbit.
When Mercury is visible, this is referred to as a period of apparition and lasts a few weeks. The apparitions of Mercury can occur in the evening or, as is currently the case, in the mornings. The timing of the apparition of Mercury depends on which side of the sun the planet is on as it approaches, reaches, and recedes from its greatest elongation.
If Mercury is to the east of the sun, it rises and sets a short time after the sun, making it visible in the later afternoon/evening and leading to its evening apparition. If it is to the west of the sun, then Mercury rises and sets before the sun during its morning apparition phase. These apparitions occur alternatively.
During evening apparitions, depending on the time of the year at which they occur, Mercury climbs to between 9 degrees and 21 degrees above the horizon at sunset. Again, depending on the time of the year, during morning apparitions, Mercury reaches between 11 degrees and 19 degrees over the horizon at sunrise.
The current phase of Mercury's morning apparitions kicked off on Sept. 6, 2023, when it first passed between Earth and the sun — a position astronomers call an inferior conjunction — and will last well into Oct,
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