The closest planet to the sun, Mercury, shines brightly over Christmas as it reaches its highest altitude in the evening sky on Christmas morning.
. Apparitions of Mercury can happen in either the morning or evening skies with this depending on whether the planet is to the east or west of the sun.
When Mercury is to the east it rises and set after the sun and can be seen in the early evening. When it is to the west, on the other hand, it rises and sets before the sun and is seen shortly before sunrise. Current to the east of the sun the ongoing evening apparition of Mercury lasts from Dec. 4 until Jan. 3.
Despite its boost in brightness, Mercury will still be no"Star of Bethlehem" in the evening sky, however. The smallest planet in theAs the closest planet to the sun, Mercury can be tough to spot hidden in the glare of the star. Additionally, acting sooner rather than later is the best bet to see the planet. This is because Mercury will fade in brightness towards the end of the December-to-January apparition as it passes between andDuring inferior conjunctions, planets have their illuminated sides turned away from Earth. This results in them appearing as thin crescents that are just barely illuminated.
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