March 7, 2026: Mercury reaches inferior conjunction today, then moves into the morning sky toward greatest elongation on April 3 before superior conjunction May 14.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:16 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:48 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Venus as an Evening Star
Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
After its appearance in the western evening sky last month, Mercury passes between the sun and Earth today. This alignment is known as inferior conjunction. The planet is 34.2 million miles from the sun and 58.1 million miles from Earth.
Mercury completes one orbit around the sun every 88 days and reaches inferior conjunction about every 116 days on average. The last inferior conjunction occurred November 20, 2025. The next occurs July 12, an interval of 127 days. The timing varies because of the planet’s elliptical orbit. The interval is shorter when Mercury is near perihelion and longer when it is near aphelion.
Morning Appearance Marginal Visibility
The planet moves into the morning sky, but visibility is limited because the ecliptic is angled low in the eastern sky. Each morning Mercury rises earlier until it reaches greatest elongation on April 3. On that date it rises less than one hour before sunrise and is under 5° above the east-southeast horizon.
This apparition favors observers at more southerly latitudes, where the ecliptic stands at a steeper angle to the horizon.
After greatest elongation, Mercury moves back toward the sun, fading into brighter morning twilight. It passes behind the sun at superior conjunction on May 14. Afterward, it returns to the western evening sky, joining Venus and Jupiter.
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