Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are straightforward to see within the evening sky, however few skywatchers have ticked Mercury off their planetary bucket checklist. Which will change on Tuesday, Nov. 25, when early risers will get a uncommon likelihood to see the closest planet to the solar along with its vibrant neighbor, Venus.
Mercury is notoriously tough to identify on account of its shut orbit, which regularly causes the small planet to be misplaced within the solar’s glare. Nevertheless, Mercury often makes a short look earlier than dawn.
In the course of the conjunction, Mercury will shine at magnitude -2 and Venus will probably be at magnitude -3.8, making the “Swift Planet” about 5 instances dimmer than the “Morning Star.” (In astronomy, decrease magnitudes point out brighter objects.)
Mercury is seen from Earth solely often due to the tiny planet’s brief, swift orbit; it takes simply 88 days to finish one lap of the solar. That is why Mercury nearly all the time seems to be misplaced within the solar’s glare. Nevertheless, when it strikes to the western facet of the solar as seen from Earth, it seems within the predawn sky, rising shortly earlier than the solar. This transient morning apparition will happen round Mercury’s best western elongation on Dec. 7, which will probably be when it is farthest from the solar from Earth’s standpoint and thus highest within the predawn sky.
This conjunction has a much bigger significance, as a result of as Mercury rises, Venus sinks. Having been vibrant in night skies in early 2025, Venus is approaching the tip of its vibrant morning apparition. It is rising later every morning and can quickly fade from view because it retreats into the solar’s glare. On Jan. 6, 2026, Venus will go between Earth and the solar — what astronomers name superior conjunction.Within the weeks after, Venus will reemerge within the night sky and attain peak brightness on Sept. 22, 2026, based on EarthSky.
