2018, March 18: Venus, Mercury and the Moon

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Venus, Mercury and the crescent moon,: March 18, 2018

Update:  March 18, 2018

Venus enters the evening sky early in 2018, setting later each night.  By March 1 Venus sets about 100 minutes after sunset, although before the end of twilight. Mercury has its best evening appearance with its greatest elongation on March 15.  On March 18, Mercury passes about 4 degrees from Venus with the moon 4 degrees beyond Venus.  The moon is just 35 hours past its new phase.

After the conjunction, Venus continues to set later; by the end of the March, it sets after twilight ends.  Mercury dashes back into the sun’s glare toward its inferior conjunction on April 1, reappearing in a difficult-to-see apparition in the morning sky.

The articles that follow provide details about the planets visible without optical assistance (binoculars or telescope):

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