Astronomical Events Information | 2016 | February
The Moon Passing Close to Venus and Mercury
Let’s Get Up Early and Find Mercury!
Venus, the bright morning star, shines low in the south-eastern sky at dawn. Because Venus is very bright, -4.0 magnitude, it stands out even at a low elevation.
In addition, Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, reaches its greatest western elongation on the 7th. In the first part of the month, Mercury’s elevation is about 10 degrees at 30 minutes before sunrise. Nearby, Venus can also be found.
From the 6th to the 7th, the thin, waning Moon appears to approach Venus and Mercury. Please get up early to look for Mercury in the pre-dawn glow by using the Moon or Venus as markers.
Reference: Ephemeris Computation Office
You can look up the rising and setting times for the Sun and the Moon, and the phases of the Moon in the “Koyomi Station” of the NAOJ Ephemeris Computation Office.
You can find the appearance of the Moon and planets as seen from a typical city under “Sky Viewer.”