{"id":1565,"date":"2021-05-03T20:49:59","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T13:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vietweather.com\/?p=1565"},"modified":"2021-05-03T20:49:59","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T13:49:59","slug":"may-2021-best-month-for-mercury-after-sunset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/may-2021-best-month-for-mercury-after-sunset\/","title":{"rendered":"May 2021 best month for Mercury after sunset"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 class=\"entry-title\">May 2021 best month for Mercury after sunset<\/h1>\n<div class=\"entry-meta clearfix\">\n<div class=\"entry-author entry-meta-item\"><span class=\"publisher\">Posted by <a class=\"author url fn\" title=\"Posts by Bruce McClure\" href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/team\/brucemcclure\" rel=\"author\">Bruce McClure<\/a> in <\/span><span class=\"post-category\">Tonight<\/span> <span class=\"divider\">|<\/span> <strong class=\"publish-time\">May 1, 2021<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1566\" src=\"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Orion-Mercury-Mars-Betelgeuse-Rigel-Aldebaran-May-1-2021.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Orion-Mercury-Mars-Betelgeuse-Rigel-Aldebaran-May-1-2021.jpg 800w, https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Orion-Mercury-Mars-Betelgeuse-Rigel-Aldebaran-May-1-2021-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Orion-Mercury-Mars-Betelgeuse-Rigel-Aldebaran-May-1-2021-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<ul id=\"cal_header\">\n<li class=\"Date\"><span id=\"weekRange\">May 03 &#8211; May 09<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"Next\">\n<div class=\"date_icon\"><em>01<\/em><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/moon-sweeps-by-saturn-jupiter-may-3-5\"> Moon sweeps by Saturn and Jupiter May 3-5 <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"Calendar\" class=\"widget tonight-widget\">\n<div class=\"calendar_container\" data-offset=\"0\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\" clearfix\">\n<div class=\"date_icon\"><em>06<\/em><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/star-hop-to-canes-venatici-the-hunting-dogs\"> Star-hop to the Hunting Dogs <\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\" clearfix\">\n<div class=\"date_icon\"><em>07<\/em><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/look-for-vega-in-the-northeast-in-springtime\"> Bright star Vega on May evenings <\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\" clearfix\">\n<div class=\"date_icon\"><em>08<\/em><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/follow-the-arc-to-arcturus-in-may\"> Arc to Arcturus, spike to Spica <\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\" clearfix\">\n<div class=\"date_icon\"><em>09<\/em><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/in-a-dark-sky-look-for-the-northern-crown\"> Look for the beautiful Northern Crown <\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\" clearfix\">\n<div class=\"date_icon\"><em>10<\/em><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/vega-guide-star-to-the-keystone-and-hercules-star-cluster\"> Find the Keystone in Hercules <\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\" clearfix\">\n<div class=\"date_icon\"><em>11<\/em><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/coming-to-know-corvus-the-crow\"> Meet Corvus the Crow <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"color: #555555;\">Live in the Northern Hemisphere? If so, May 2021 presents your best month this year for spotting the planet Mercury \u2013 the solar system\u2019s innermost planet, sometimes called the most <\/span><em style=\"color: #555555;\">elusive<\/em><span style=\"color: #555555;\"> planet \u2013 in the evening sky. You can also catch Mercury from the Southern Hemisphere, though the view won\u2019t be as favorable as at more northerly latitudes. From the Southern Hemisphere, the year\u2019s best evening apparition of Mercury will be coming in September 2021.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>No matter where you live worldwide, however, you\u2019ll want to find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset to maximize your chances of catching Mercury. Mercury, the innermost planet of the solar system, isn\u2019t difficult to spot because it\u2019s dim. Rather, Mercury often eludes detection, because it sits low in the west at sunset and then follows the sun beneath the horizon before true darkness falls. In other words, you have to catch Mercury near the sunset point on the horizon as evening dusk is giving way to nightfall.<\/p>\n<p>Mercury shines at its brightest for the month in early May, and then slowly dims each day thereafter. Throughout the first week of May, Mercury actually shines at a negative magnitude, or brighter than a <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/astronomy-essentials\/what-is-stellar-magnitude\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1st-magnitude star<\/a>. (Like in golf, where a lower number means a better score, a negative magnitude in astronomy indicates a brighter object.) But even as Mercury dims, it climbs farther away from the sun each day, to reach its greatest <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Elongation_(astronomy)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">elongation<\/a> from the sun on May 17, 2021. At that time, Mercury\u2019s brilliance will match that of a 1st-magnitude star.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1567\" src=\"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Sirius-Capella-Mars-Mercury-Venus-May-12-13-14-15-2021.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Sirius-Capella-Mars-Mercury-Venus-May-12-13-14-15-2021.jpg 800w, https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Sirius-Capella-Mars-Mercury-Venus-May-12-13-14-15-2021-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Sirius-Capella-Mars-Mercury-Venus-May-12-13-14-15-2021-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The young waxing crescent moon helps to guide your eye to the evening planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars from May 12 to 15, 2021.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In other words, chances are that you may well see Mercury with the eye alone, despite the glow of evening twilight. Binoculars, though, always help out in any Mercury quest, especially if the viewing is a bit murky near the horizon. Even with ideal seeing conditions, binoculars enable you to catch Mercury all the sooner after sunset.<\/p>\n<p>Given an absolutely unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset, we give you Mercury\u2019s approximate setting time for various latitudes:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/60th_parallel_north\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">60 degrees north latitude<\/a>:<br \/>\nEarly May: Mercury sets 1 hour and 55 minutes after sunset<br \/>\nMiddle May: Mercury sets 2 hours and 50 minutes after sunset<br \/>\nLate May: Mercury sets 1 hour and 25 minutes after sunset<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/40th_parallel_north\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">40 degrees north latitude<\/a>:<br \/>\nEarly May: Mercury sets 1 hour and 15 minutes after sunset<br \/>\nMiddle May: Mercury sets 1 hour and 55 minutes after sunset<br \/>\nLate May: Mercury sets 1 hour and 5 minutes after sunset<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Equator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Equator<\/a> (0 degrees latitude):<br \/>\nEarly May: Mercury sets 55 minutes after sunset<br \/>\nMiddle May: Mercury sets 1 hour and 30 minutes after sunset<br \/>\nLate May: Mercury sets 1 hour after sunset<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/35th_parallel_south\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">35 degrees south latitude<\/a>:<br \/>\nEarly May; Mercury sets 35 minutes after sunset<br \/>\nMiddle May: Mercury sets 1 hour 10 minutes after sunset<br \/>\nLate may: Mercury sets 1 hour after sunset<\/p>\n<p>For more specific information, go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.almanac.com\/astronomy\/planets-rise-and-set\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Old Farmer\u2019s Almanac<\/a> (U.S. and Canada) or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeanddate.com\/astronomy\/night\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TimeandDate<\/a> (worldwide)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Starting the last week of May 2021, Mercury will dim to 2nd-magnitude, shining about 1\/8 as brilliantly as it does in early May. Even so, Venus \u2013 the brightest of all planets \u2013 will shine rather close to Mercury on the sky\u2019s dome in last week of May. So you can aim your binoculars at Venus to gaze at Mercury taking the stage with Venus in a single binocular field.<\/p>\n<p>Most likely, you won\u2019t see Venus early in the month, as this world sits rather close to the glare of sunset throughout the first week of May. Day by day, however, Venus will climb upward, away from the sunset glare. Finally, Venus will catch up with Mercury to showcase a close-knit conjunction on May 29 (evening of May 28 in the Americas).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1568\" src=\"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Mars-Capella-Elnath-Mercury-Venus-May-28-2021-Recovered.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Mars-Capella-Elnath-Mercury-Venus-May-28-2021-Recovered.jpg 800w, https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Mars-Capella-Elnath-Mercury-Venus-May-28-2021-Recovered-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vietweather.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/West-Mars-Capella-Elnath-Mercury-Venus-May-28-2021-Recovered-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Although it\u2019ll be the closest visible Mercury-Venus conjunction until November 5, 2033, good chance that you\u2019ll need an optical aid to see Mercury next to Venus. <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/closest-mercury-venus-conjunction-until-2033\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Venus rates as the third-brightest celestial object to light up the heavens after the sun and moon. Because Venus beams so mightily, you can use brilliant Venus to locate faint Mercury in the latter part of the month. Mercury will become a faint <a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/astronomy-essentials\/what-is-stellar-magnitude\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3rd-magnitude<\/a> object by late May, or by the time of the Mercury-Venus conjunction on May 28 or 29 (depending on your time zone). So you\u2019ll probably need binoculars for any chance of spotting Mercury next to Venus in late May.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t tarry! Start looking for Mercury in the first few weeks of May, while this gleaming world is still bright and beautiful. Right now, in early May, Mercury shines some 40 times more brilliantly than it will by the month\u2019s end.<\/p>\n<p>Bottom line: Live in the Northern Hemisphere? If so, May 2021 presents the year\u2019s best month for spotting the planet Mercury in the evening sky.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"KzpFTZNGPx\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/best-month-to-see-mercury-after-sunset\">May 2021 best month for Mercury  after sunset<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;May 2021 best month for Mercury  after sunset&#8221; &#8212; EarthSky\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/tonight\/best-month-to-see-mercury-after-sunset\/embed#?secret=KzpFTZNGPx\" data-secret=\"KzpFTZNGPx\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May 2021 best month for Mercury after sunset Posted by Bruce McClure in Tonight | May 1, 2021 May 03 &#8211; May 09 01 Moon sweeps by Saturn and Jupiter May 3-5 06 Star-hop to the Hunting Dogs 07 Bright star Vega on May evenings 08 Arc to Arcturus, spike to Spica 09 Look for [&#8230;]\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[37,20,35,14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1565"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1565"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1569,"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1565\/revisions\/1569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietweather.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}