Mercury
planet
The smallest planet and the closest to the Sun. It never strays more than 28° from it, so it is only visible low in the twilight sky.
In brief
Where is Mercury in the sky right now?
Mercury moves against the stars, so there is no fixed table: enter your coordinates on this page and the map computes its current altitude and azimuth, plus rise and set times, for any moment you choose.
Is Mercury visible to the naked eye?
Yes, but only briefly: look low above the horizon within half an hour of sunset or sunrise on days near greatest elongation.
Data
- Type
- planet
- Equatorial radius
- 2,440 km
- Orbital period
- 88 days
- Rotation period
- 58.6 days
- Distance from Sun
- 0.39 AU
- Moons
- 0
Observing tip
Look low above the horizon within half an hour of sunset or before sunrise. A telescope shows a tiny disc with a phase.