Greetings, fellow star gazers -- I m Trace
and I m here to help you find the teeny

planet of Mercury -- which is in its greatest
elongation right now!

Head outside after sunset, and keep a sharp
eye out for a tiny speck of light about a

fist-width above the horizon -- that s about
ten-degrees.

That speck should follow the sun as it sets,
and then disappear beneath the horizon too.

That speck is lil sun-soaked Mercury!

Throughout the year, each planet hits Elongation
or their furthest distance from the sun as

seen from Earth.

Mercury finished its Great Western Elongation
in November 2020, crossed in front of the

Sun, and will hit its Eastern Elongation on
January 24th!

Then it ll swing behind the sun for its
next Western elongation on March 6.

Because Mercury orbits closer to the sun than
us, it can be tough to spot -- zipping back

and forth around our nearest star, but now
that you know where to look, you can say hello

to my little friend, and keep lookin up!