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  • Stargazing News - December 25th, 2024

    From CJ@21:2/156 to All on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 07:31:32
    Wednesday December 25, 2024

    Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation (pre-dawn)

    On the mornings surrounding Wednesday, December 25, Mercury will reach its widest angle of 22\F8 west of the sun, and peak visibility, for its current morning apparition. Starting around 5:45 a.m. in your local time zone, look
    for the planet shining very low in the east-southeastern sky, and climbing.
    The bright star Antares will sparkle a palm's width to the planet's lower
    right (or 6 degrees to the celestial SSW). In a telescope Mercury will exhibit a 64%-illuminated, waxing gibbous phase. Mercury's position above the morning ecliptic (green line) will make this a good apparition for mid-northern latitude observers, and reasonably good showing for those located south of the Equator, too. The planet will continue to be well-placed for viewing for two weeks after greatest elongation. Turn all optical aids away from the eastern horizon before the sun rises.

    (Data courtesy of Starry Night
    --- SBBSecho 3.23-Linux
    * Origin: CJ's Place, Orange City FL > cjsplace.thruhere.net (21:2/156)