Mercury this month
Mercury is in the evening sky, 18° east of the Sun: look after sunset, low in the west. It shines at magnitude +0.7 in Libra.
- Magnitude
- +0.7
- Constellation
- Libra
- From the Sun
- 18° east
- Distance
- 0.76 AU (113 million km)
- Apparent size
- 8.9″
- Position
- RA 15h 10m, Dec -20.7°
Rise and set today in six cities
Local times on 26 October 2026. A planet that rises before sunset and sets after it is up in the evening; one that rises in the small hours is a morning object.
The year ahead
Angular distance from the Sun as seen from Earth. Inside the shaded band (15°) a planet is lost in twilight.
Coming events
- Inferior conjunction: (between Earth and the Sun, not visible)
- Greatest morning elongation: , 19.6° from the Sun
- Superior conjunction: (behind the Sun, not visible)
- Greatest evening elongation: , 18.3° from the Sun
- Inferior conjunction: (between Earth and the Sun, not visible)
- Greatest morning elongation: , 27.6° from the Sun
- Superior conjunction: (behind the Sun, not visible)
- Greatest evening elongation: , 22.9° from the Sun
Close approaches
- : the Moon and Mercury 0.3° apart
- : the Moon and Mercury 1.1° apart
- : the Moon and Mercury 2.7° apart
- : the Moon and Mercury 1.6° apart
- : Mercury and Mars 0.7° apart
- : the Moon and Mercury 0.2° apart
- : the Moon and Mercury 2.9° apart
- : Mercury and Venus 2.5° apart
Seeing Mercury
The innermost planet never strays more than about 28° from the Sun, so it is only ever seen low in twilight, for a week or two around each greatest elongation, either after sunset in the west or before sunrise in the east. It moves quickly: a good evening apparition comes round several times a year. When it is well placed it is brighter than most stars, but the twilight glow and the haze near the horizon make it easy to miss.