1-day-old crescent Moon

Astronomy & Observing News

Watch the Young Moon Greet Mercury at Sunset

On February 18th, the willowy crescent has a close shave with Mercury, so close that it occults the planet from some U.S. cities.

Lineae on Mercury

Astronomy & Observing News

Hundreds of Bright Streaks Suggest Mercury’s Still Active

An AI search through decades-old spacecraft images reveals that Mercury may still be alive and kicking, geologically speaking.

Brightness temperature along a large swath of Mercury

Astronomy & Observing News

First Thermal Images of Mercury from BepiColombo

The European BepiColombo mission made a detailed heat map of a large swath of Mercury's surface during its most recent flyby.

Astronomy & Observing News

New Mercury Images from BepiColombo's Flyby

The BepiColombo mission has sent back one last preview before it enters orbit around its final destination: Mercury.

Mercury

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

BepiColombo Mission Returns to Mercury for Best Flyby Views Yet

The BepiColombo mission has completed its fourth and closest pass yet of Mercury, giving us brand-new views of the planet's south pole region.

Slanted shot shows black space over the gray, cratered horizon of Mercury

Astronomy & Observing News

Do Glaciers on Mercury Suggest Such a Planet Could Be Habitable?

Salt glaciers on Mercury suggest conditions friendly to life — but not life itself — might once have existed on the innermost planet.

Illustration of BepiColumbo in front of Mercury

Astronomy & Observing News

BepiColombo First Picture of Mercury (Updated)

BepiColombo is set to make the first of several flybys past Mercury on Friday, October 1st.

Chaotic terrain on Mercury

Astronomy & Observing News

Why Have Parts of Mercury's Landscape "Deflated"?

A type of landscape on Mercury known as “chaotic terrain” might have released materials stored underground for eons.

Transit of Mercury 2019 (composite)

Astronomy & Observing News

Capturing the Transit of Mercury

Though clouds blocked the sky for many yesterday, those with a clear view had the chance to see tiny Mercury cross the face of the Sun.

Observing

Don't Miss Monday's Rare Transit of Mercury

On Monday, November 11th, Mercury will pass directly in front of the Sun and look a tiny black dot silhouetted against the brilliant solar disk. The event, called a transit, occurs approximately 13 times a century.

Transit comparison

Astronomy & Observing News

Citizen Science with the Transit of Mercury

If you're planning on watching the November 11th transit of Mercury, try kicking it up a notch — watch with a friend and calculate the distance between Earth and the Sun!

Observing

Perseid Prospects, Mornings with Mercury and the Lunar X

With the Perseid shower, a great morning apparition of Mercury, and a chance to see craters scratch out an X on the moon, skywatchers have a busy week ahead! 

Observing

A Zodiac Ramble . . . with a Few Fun Detours

Take a trip along the ecliptic from dusk till dawn to check out the sights along this well-traveled highway — the zodiacal light, Mercury, and the gegenschein, plus scenic detours to a comet and asteroid.

Observing

Venus Occults a Star and Mercury Joins Jupiter on the Winter Solstice

Bring in winter with a bang with a beautiful, close conjunction and a rare planet-star occultation.

Image of BepiColumbo launch

Astronomy & Observing News

Mission to Mercury Launches

The BepiColombo spacecraft, Europe's first mission to Mercury, rocketed away from Earth to begin its seven-year trek to the innermost planet.

Near and Far Planets Draw Close

Observing

See Mercury First, Then Have Breakfast

Late sunrises make it easy to follow the parade of planets at dawn, including a nice apparition of Mercury this week with three successive lunar conjunctions.

Feather of Dusty Light

Explore the Night with Bob King

Mercury Punctuates The False Dawn

Early risers get a triple treat this week and next: a ravishing dawn Moon, an excellent apparition of Mercury, and a hint of Halloween in the ghostly zodiacal light.

Mercury transit 2016 in H-alpha light

Astronomy & Observing News

Mercury's Slow Glide Across the Sun

May 9th's transit of Mercury is now history. Countless amateurs — and professionals — watched as the innermost planet had its day in the Sun. It's sometimes the curse of being involved in astronomical outreach that I miss all the action during an important celestial event. For example, I never…

Transit of Mercury composite

Astronomy & Observing News

Mercury Transit: Everything You Need to Know

The littlest planet will cross the enormous Sun for viewers in most of the world.

Mercury on April 15th

Astronomy & Observing News

How to Spot Mercury in the Evening Sky

If you've never seen the fleet-footed planet Mercury, now is a great time to look for it in the evening sky after sunset.