المملكة: Jeddah Astronomy: The elongation of Mercury at dawn on Saturday is a golden opportunity for observation… and 28 degrees separate it from the sun
Head explained An astronomical phenomenon that provides a unique opportunity to observe it above the eastern horizon before sunrise.
Monitoring the appearance of Mercury
He indicated that Mercury will appear at this time as a relatively bright point of light, which can be seen with the naked eye if the sky is clear, noting that using binoculars helps improve vision, especially in the presence of dust or lighting spread near the horizon.
He added that the planet will reach its maximum height of about 17 degrees above the horizon shortly before Sunrise, before gradually fading with increasing daylight.
He pointed out that Mercury, as the closest planet The solar system to the sun, it rotates within the Earth’s orbit, which makes it always appear close to the sun in the sky. Because its orbit is elliptical, its maximum elongation angle usually ranges between 18 and 28 degrees, which leads to its observation conditions varying from one period to another.
The path of the sun during observation
He explained that the best timing for observing Mercury depends on the angle of the sun’s path relative to the horizon, an angle that changes according to the seasons and the observer’s location, which makes some elongations, especially during the spring in the northern hemisphere, more suitable for observation compared to And others.
He added that visual monitoring of Mercury is often limited to monitoring its position, brightness and phases, which are similar to the phases of the moon but with a much smaller disk. However, these observations gain cumulative scientific importance, as they contribute to improving the understanding of its apparent movement when compared to astronomical models.
The role of historical measurements in understanding Mercury’s movement
He pointed out that historical measurements of Mercury’s movement played a pivotal role in developing understanding. Scientific analysis of its orbit, as it revealed slight deviations that were not fully explained by Newton’s laws, which later contributed to supporting the predictions of general relativity regarding the effect of the sun’s gravity on the motion of the planets. He stressed that such accurate measurements depend today on advanced technologies, including radar and space missions.
He pointed out that this phenomenon represents an important educational opportunity for amateur astronomers, to practice monitoring and learn to determine directions and use optical tools, indicating that photographing the details of Mercury’s surface from the Earth is not possible accurately, but its disk and phases can be monitored, while detailed data comes from specialized space missions.
He concluded by stressing that studying Mercury’s movement accurately, whether through Ground-based observations or through space-based data contribute to improving orbital models, which is an essential element in planning future missions and deepening understanding of the solar system environment.
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