2026, February 15: Mercury Near Greatest Elongation, Jupiter Bright After Sunset

February 15, 2026: Mercury nears greatest elongation and is best seen after sunset, while Jupiter shines bright in the eastern sky and Saturn fades into twilight. Learn what is visible in the evening sky.

Venus, Mercury and Elnath, May 23, 2020
Photo Caption – 2020, May 23: Brilliant Venus appears with Mercury and Elnath in the evening sky.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:46 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:24 p.m. CST.  Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.

Three bright planets are visible after sunset: Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn.

Mercury and Saturn

Mercury, Saturn, February 15, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, February 15: Mercury and Saturn are in the west-southwest after sunset.

In four nights, Mercury reaches greatest elongation from the sun, when it appears farthest from the sun in the sky. Visibility during this apparition is strongly influenced by the inclination of the ecliptic — the plane of the solar system — relative to the western horizon after sunset. At this time of year, that angle is steeper than during autumn evenings, improving visibility.

As Mercury emerges from bright sunlight, its phase is large and the planet is bright. As the phase decreases — waxing and waning are not used for Mercury and Venus because their phase cycle does not mirror the moon’s lunation — Mercury dims by about 7% each evening.

From the night of greatest elongation to the night of the purported planet parade on February 28, Mercury fades by more than 90%. As it recedes into brighter evening twilight, the planet is lost in the glow and is not seen on that date.

The several evenings surrounding greatest elongation are the best nights to see Mercury. Step outside about 45 minutes after sunset and use a binocular to locate the planet. It shines through the colorful hues of evening twilight and appears as a bright star about 7° above the west-southwest horizon.

In a typical binocular with a 7.5° field of view, the horizon lies near the bottom of the field and Mercury appears near the top. If needed, slowly sweep left and right along the horizon to spot the planet.

Saturn is descending into evening twilight as it approaches solar conjunction next month. It is past its best telescopic viewing for this apparition and appears lower in the west-southwest each evening.

When looking for Mercury, Saturn is over 20° above the west-southwest horizon and more than 15° to Mercury’s upper left. Saturn is visible, but it is only about 20% as bright as Mercury. A binocular helps with identification. Waiting another 15–20 minutes improves the view as twilight deepens.

Mercury sets before twilight ends, while Saturn remains above the horizon for nearly three hours after sunset.

Jupiter in Eastern Sky

Jupiter, February 15, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, February 15: Bright Jupiter is in the eastern sky with Gemini after sunset.

Farther east, bright Jupiter is about halfway from the horizon to overhead in the eastern sky, to the right of Castor and Pollux, the Gemini Twins. Until Venus returns to the evening sky, Jupiter is the brightest starlike body in view. To the unaided eye it resembles a bright star, while a telescope shows its cloud bands and largest moons.

Jupiter continues to retrograde in front of Gemini until March 10. Use a binocular to follow its westward motion relative to the star Wasat.

During the night, Jupiter stands high in the south before midnight and sets in the west-northwest before morning twilight.

Look for Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn during the early evening. Mercury is best seen on the nights surrounding greatest elongation.

Late in February, the so-called planet parade consists of planets scattered across the sky rather than aligned or grouped in any meaningful way, even though several are visible during the same evening hours. Jupiter and the moon are the clear standouts, shining high and bright after sunset, while other planets require careful timing and unobstructed horizons. Claims of a rare string of planets across the sky exaggerate what observers can actually see. The February 8 Sky Almanac lays out the geometry, visibility limits, and practical expectations for skywatchers at month’s end.

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