January 12, 2024: Before daybreak, spot Mercury at greatest elongation, to the lower left of Morning Star Venus.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:17 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:41 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Mercury from Space
Mercury is at greatest elongation from the sun this morning. This means that the speedy planet appears at its farthest extent from the sun. As viewed above the solar system, the angle including Mercury and Sun, with Earth at the vertex, is at the largest possible angle.
Geometrically, if Mercury’s orbit were a circle, the side of the angle from Earth would be tangent to the planet’s imaginary orbital path.
The planet rises nearly one hundred minutes before daybreak and appears low in the southeast during morning twilight.
2024 Mercury Appearances
This is the first of four morning appearances for the planet during this calendar year. The second morning greatest elongation occurs May 9th, followed by September 4th, and December 22nd.
During May, the planet’s visibility suffers from a low angle the plane of the solar system makes with the eastern horizon. At thirty minutes before the sun rises, it is less than 5° above the horizon.
In contrast, during the September elongation, Mercury is nearly 10° above the eastern horizon at forty-five minutes before daybreak. Similarly, at the December appearance, Mercury is visible at about the same altitude – height above the horizon.
Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24
Mercury near Venus before Sunrise
To find Mercury in the sky this morning, step outside at 45 minutes before sunrise. Brilliant Venus is 15° above the southeast horizon. It can be simply described as “that bright star” in the southeastern sky during morning twilight.
The Morning Star is stepping eastward in front of Ophiuchus, 9.0° to the left of Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius. The Scorpion continues to climb into the morning sky.
Mercury, brighter than all the other stars in the sky this morning except for Venus, is nearly 8° above the southeast horizon and 11.6° to the lower left of Venus. The planet is visible to the unassisted eye, but a binocular helps with the initial identification.
Find a location with a clear view to the horizon. A hilltop or elevated structure provides sight lines over any obstructions. For locations with leafless trees at this season, Mercury might appear through the branches.
Beginning January 16th and lasting four mornings, Venus closes to 11.1° of Mercury. Then the innermost planet in the solar system speeds off into brighter morning twilight, passing Mars on the 27th.
Step outside this morning to spot Mercury at greatest elongation.
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