Springtime for Toxics
Hat makers no longer use mercury (and who wears hats these days?), but a lot of mercury gets into the atmosphere from old coal-burning power plants that lack modern pollution…
Sky Tonight—May 6, Mercury at greatest morning elongation May 7
The farther north you live, the closer Mercury rises to sunrise.
Sky Tonight—April 29, Five planets before sunrise April 30. .
Far and away, people in the southern hemisphere enjoy the better view of this string of planets.
Sky Tonight—Tuesday, March 22, Mercury farthest from sunset glare
Today Mercury reaches its greatest elongation east of the sun at 7 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
Sky Tonight—March 21, As Mercury sets, zodiacal light shines faintly in western sky
Zodiacal light looks like a large but faint milky-colored pyramid of light with its apex reaching perhaps halfway up the sky.
Sky Tonight—March 16, Smallest and largest planets in conjunction
The planets Mercury and Jupiter meet up for a conjunction today.
Sky Tonight—March 15, Jupiter is your guide to Mercury in mid-March 2011
these two worlds will set about 80 minutes after sundown
Sky Tonight—March 7, Mercury lurks beneath moon and Jupiter at dusk
At mid-northern latitudes around the world tonight, Mercury follows the sun beneath the horizon around 45 minutes after sunset.
Sky Tonight— January 8, Elusive Mercury farthest from sun before dawn on January 9
people around the world with a level horizon and a clear sky can view Mercury climbing over the eastern horizon just as darkness gives way to dawn.
Sky Tonight—January 1, Moon and Mercury below Venus before dawn tomorrow
tomorrow (Sunday, January 2), you might catch the waning crescent moon and elusive planet Mercury below brilliant Venus.