February 19, 2026: Mercury reaches its farthest apparent distance from the sun this evening, setting well after sunset as Saturn and a thin crescent Moon linger in evening twilight.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:41 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:29 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Mercury at Greatest Elongation
Mercury is at greatest elongation tonight and at its farthest apparent distance from the sun for this evening appearance. Greatest elongation occurs when the Sun–Earth–Mercury angle is at its largest. The planet appears farthest from the sun, setting 93 minutes after sundown, measured from the end of evening twilight.
As the innermost planet, Mercury shuttles around the sun every 88 days, overtaking Earth every 116 days. It moves from the evening sky to the morning sky and back to evening again. Sometimes our view of the solar system is unfavorable because of the constant tilt of Earth’s axis. This occurs after sunset during the autumn months, when the ecliptic makes a shallow angle with the western horizon and the planets set early. During late winter and spring, the solar system’s plane has a steeper angle with the horizon, allowing Mercury to be seen during evening twilight. This evening’s geometry places Mercury among the more favorable evening appearances of the year.
Mercury returns the evening sky during June for a pretty display with Venus, Jupiter, and Gemini.
About 45 minutes after sunset, Mercury is less than 10° above the west-southwest horizon. It appears as a bright star shining through the hues of evening twilight. An unobstructed view toward the west-southwest horizon is essential for spotting the planet. Use a binocular to initially identify it.
Moon Guides View to Mercury, Saturn
Tonight, the waxing crescent Moon, 7% illuminated, might initially catch your eye. The lunar orb is 4.1° to Saturn’s upper right and over 12° to Mercury’s upper left.
Look for earthshine on the moon’s night portion. Earthshine is sunlight reflected from Earth’s clouds, oceans, and land that softly illuminates the lunar night. From the Moon, Earth’s phase is nearly full.
During a full moon, light reflected from the moon illuminates the terrestrial landscape enough to take a favorite hike without a flashlight.
Mercury, Saturn Slip Into Evening Twilight
After tonight, Mercury fades in brightness and sets two to three minutes earlier each evening. By month’s end, it sets about 30 minutes earlier than it does tonight.
Saturn, only 25% of Mercury’s brightness this evening, slowly slips deeper into evening twilight. It loses four to five minutes of setting time each night through the end of February, when it sets about 20 minutes after the end of evening twilight.
The view of Saturn continues to worsen as its nightly altitude decreases. The thicker air near the horizon blurs the view and dims the planet. While Saturn remains visible through a telescope, the image appears unfocused, almost like viewing it through a thin layer of wax paper.
By the end of February, both planets are lost in evening twilight. A binocular might locate Saturn, but Mercury is only about 40% of Saturn’s brightness and very low in bright twilight, making it essentially unobservable.
This evening, the crescent moon guides you to Saturn and Mercury at 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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