Skygazer
Mercury Makes an Appearance
The next two weeks will afford local skygazers an opportunity to see one of Earth's more elusive neighbors.
The planet Mercury, which orbits closest to the Sun, and, is thus usually obscured from our view by our star's light, is entering a portion of its orbit that will make it visible low in our western sky during the evenings. Mercury is essentially a ball of iron covered in a fairly thin crust of silicate rock. Look for it near the western horizon between 20 and 50 minutes after sunset, starting Wednesday. It will be one of the brighter objects in the sky, exceeded only by the moon and the planets Venus and Jupiter. Mercury will perhaps be easiest to see during the week of Feb. 26. As March progresses, Mercury will continue along in its 88-day trek around the sun and the planet's brightness will fade (even though it will be getting closer …
