Mercury rises start of morning twilight
...and is at its maximum elongation west of the Sun, magnitude 0.5, bright, easy to spot!
...and is at its maximum elongation west of the Sun, magnitude 0.5, bright, easy to spot!
by only 2 degrees, around midnight.
Sets less than 45 minutes before sun rise, difficult to find in dawn skies the rest of the month.
Mainly West Coast US and Canada, ~9 California -10 PM Winnipeg, as examples
....and rises before the Sun sets.
Watch the Moon and Mars rise together around midnight!
Ends westward retrograde motion, resumes eastward normal motion.