Sunday, October 20, 2013

Why is the Mercury so rarely visible from Earth ?

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Mercury is the closest planet to the sun in our solar system. Since it average distance from the Sun is only 58million km (compare with 150million km between the Earth and the Sun), its position in the sky is also very close to the Sun. Seen from Earth, Mercury cannot move any further from the Sun than 28°, and most of the time it is even close than that, or even directly in front of or behind the Sun. From Earth the planet is nearly always obscured by the Sun’s brilliant light. Mercury is only visible for most people when the Sun is not in the sky at the same time-which is briefly at dawn and dusk. Then Mercury can be see low on the horizon either rising or setting just before or just after the Sun.

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