Stargazing alert: Mercury reaches its zenith tomorrow

Mercury is set to reach its highest point in the night sky on Wednesday, April 12. Interestingly, the planet closest to the Sun will be at its greatest distance from the Sun from our viewpoint.

On the night of April 12, Mercury will be visible at an angle of 18 degrees above the horizon in the west, according to In The Sky. Also, both Uranus and Venus will be present in the sky above Mercury.

Interestingly, on the same day, Mercury will be at its “greatest elongation” from the Sun. 

This means that it will be as far as Mercury will get from the Sun from our viewpoint. Greatest elongations are typically the best times to observe inner planets, including Mercury. 

This is because they are usually farthest from the Sun’s glare at the time.

According to EarthSky, Mercury will be at its greatest elongation on Tuesday, April 11, but even if that is the case, the difference between the position of Mercury on Tuesday and Wednesday should be minuscule.

On April 12, In The Sky says that Mercury will burn bright with a stellar magnitude of 0.

This should mean that it will be brighter than the North Star. 

But it will not be the most prominent celestial object at sunset when viewed from New Delhi, so it might be a little tricky to view.

Then, use a pair of binoculars or if available, a telescope. When viewed with a telescope, Mercury will be in a waxing crescent phase where about 40 per cent of the planet will be illuminated.