Will Mercury disappear from the night sky? Understand

This Friday (22nd), at 3.50pm, Mercury will begin a phase that astronomers call “inferior solar conjunction”, passing between the Earth and the Sun, which it will approach approximately 46.2 million km.million km.

According to the guide to astronomical observation In-The-Sky.orgthis happens once in every synodic cycle of the planet, which is the period necessary for a planetary body to reach the same position relative to the Sun, when observed from our planet – which in the case of Mercury is 116 days.

On its closest approach to the Sun, Mercury will be at a separation of only 2°08′ from the star, becoming unobservable for a long period while bathed in solar brightness. This phase marks the “disappearance” of the planet from the night sky and its transition to becoming a morning object in the coming weeks.

But when will it be possible to observe it again? According to Marcelo Zurita, president of the Paraibana Astronomical Association (APA), member of the Brazilian Astronomical Society (SAB), technical director of the Brazilian Meteorological Observation Network (BRAMON) and columnist of Olhar Digital, Mercury returns to the celestial landscape together with the new year : January 1, 2024.

Mercury will also pass perigee – its closest point to Earth – at almost the same time, reaching a distance of 0.68 Astronomical Units (AU) from our planet.

This means that the smallest planet in the Solar System will be “only” 101.2 million km from Earth, which would make it much larger in our eyes, if it could be observed.

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Source: Olhar Digital