Planet Mercury

Welcome to Planet Mercury
A website about the planet Mercury

Mercury is the first planet in our solar system. Named for the messenger god, Mercury is sometimes placed as the morning or evening star.

Being an inner planet, that is within Earth orbit, it never appears very far away from the Sun, so learning when the optimal times when Venus is furthest away from the Sun, it ket to observing Mercury. In this website we calculate those times known as "Elongations."

Today in Astronomy History
courtesy of astroplanet.info

July 4, 1054
Chinese astronomers record a bright supernova later to become the Crab Nebula (M1).

July 4, 1968
Radio astronomy satellite Explorer 38 is launched.

July 4, 1997
NASA's Pathfinder probe lands on Mars

July 4, 2005
Comet Tempel 1 collides with the "Deep Impact" probe

...also in Astronomy Today
courtesy of astroplanet.info

July 4, 2009
Earth reaches Aphelion

July 4, 2009
Mercury disappears into the glare of the morning Sun.

July 4, 2009
Venus passes less than 7° of the asterism Pleiades (M45)