Mercury

Mercury is our solar system's smallest planet.

Related Topics: Earth, Venus, We Don't Planet 

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a person looks at the night sky through a telescope

The brightest planets in October's night sky: How to see them (and when)

By Joe Rao last updated

Reference The only planet that continues 'out of the loop' in October is Mars, which will remain out of sight, too near the vicinity of the sun to be seen right through the end of the year.

Night sky September 2023

See Mercury reach its highest point in the morning sky early on Sept. 23

By Robert Lea published

As temperatures fall, Mercury rises reaching its highest point in the morning of Saturday, Sept. 23. The tiny planet shines brightly this weekend but will still be a tricky observation for some.

illustration of a spacecraft studying purplish auroras over the planet mercury, with the blackness of space in the background

Auroras across the solar system are powered in the same way, Mercury results suggest

By Charles Q. Choi published

The way in which the radiant displays of colors in the sky known as auroras form on Earth may be how these lights arise throughout the solar system, according to new findings from Mercury.

An image of the planet Mercury taken by the European BepiColombo spacecraft during a gravity-assist flyby.

Watch Mercury roll by in a stunning sequence from BepiColombo probe (video)

By Tereza Pultarova published

The European-Japanese BepiColombo spacecraft took this stunning sequence of images of its target planet Mercury during a gravity assist flyby designed to alter its speed.

Three views of Mercury taken by the European BepiColombo mission during its flyby of the planet in June 2023.

European probe captures stunning up-close views of planet Mercury during brief flyby (video, photos)

By Tereza Pultarova published

Europe's Mercury-bound probe BepiColombo made its third close flyby of its target planet on Monday (June 19), revealing a surface riddled with craters, including one that just received a name.

An artist's impression of the BepiColombo spacecraft at Mercury.

Europe's BepiColombo spacecraft zooms within 150 miles of Mercury in close flyby

By Tereza Pultarova published

Europe's Mercury probe BepiColombo will take a close look at its target planet on Monday (June 19), and we can expect some exciting new images soon after that.

Razor-thin moon with Mercury and Jupiter

See the moon meet up with elusive Mercury in a conjunction today

By Robert Lea published

The moon will meet up with Mercury, the solar system's smallest planet and the closest to the sun, in the evening sky on Wednesday, May 17.

Mercury's comet-like tail streaks across the sky in this image captured April 12, 2023 by astrophotographer Sebastian Voltmer.

See Mercury's giant, comet-like tail in stunning new image as it passes close to the sun

By Harry Baker published

Shortly after Mercury reached its closest point to the sun, its massive, comet-like tail became unusually visible in the night sky and was captured in a stunning new photo.

Starry Night

See elusive planet Mercury high in the sky tonight (April 11)

By Robert Lea published

Mercury will reach its highest point in the sky tonight (April 11), but it'll still be a challenge to observe.

Venus will shine bright in the April 2023 night sky, as it often does.

April delights: Mercury, Venus and the Pleiades put on a sky show this month

By Joe Rao published

From now through mid-April, Venus will help you to identify the normally hard-to-find planet Mercury. And along the way, Venus will have a striking interaction with the Pleiades star cluster.

Planetary alignment on Mar. 27, 2023.

Watch a 5 planet parade today with this free telescope livestream

By Brett Tingley published

The Virtual Telescope Project will be streaming "Five Planets at a glance" on March 28, offering a view of this planetary parade from Rome.

a person looking up at the night sky beside a telescope

Watch Jupiter meet the moon and Mercury this week before leaving the night sky

By Joe Rao published

Jupiter will meet up with the moon before joining Mercury in late March, after which it will disappear in the glare of the sun until it reappears in May.

Mercury crossing in front of the sun's disk as seen by the Solar Orbiter's Extreme Ultraviolet Imager.

Solar Orbiter catches Mercury crossing the sun. Here's the amazing video.

By Robert Lea published

Watch Mercury cross in front of the sun's disk in this video captured by the European Solar Orbiter spacecraft.

An illustration of the night sky on Feb. 18 showing the conjunction of Mercury and the moon.

The crescent moon meets up with Mercury tomorrow morning (Feb. 18)

By Robert Lea published

The moon will meet up with the closest planet to the sun Mercury on Saturday, as the two celestial bodies meet in conjunction in the morning sky.

Mercury - Jan2023

See Mercury at its highest point in the sky Tuesday morning (Jan. 24)

By Stefanie Waldek published

Mercury will reach its highest altitude of its Jan.–Feb. 2023 morning apparition on Tuesday, Jan. 24. From New York City, it will reach 14 degrees above the horizon in the southeast sky.

virtual telescope project images of planets and stars in december 2022

See the rare 'planet parade' of 5 naked-eye planets in these photos by an astronomer

By Elizabeth Howell published

Clear skies beckoned Wednesday (Dec. 28) in Rome, allowing the Virtual Telescope Project's Gianluca Masi to get busy with a year-end broadcast.

This NASA sky map shows the locations of the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and Mars after sunset on Dec. 25, 2022.

See the moon and 4 planets align as Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and Venus offer a rare night sky treat this week!

By Tariq Malik published

The Christmas moon lines up with four bright planets in a celestial holiday treat this week.

An illustration of the night sky on Dec. 24 showing Mercury high in the sky.

See Mercury shine brightly in the sky this Christmas

By Robert Lea published

Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, will shine brightly in the sky on Christmas Eve as it reaches its highest altitude in the evening sky.

Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation (pre-dawn)

See Mercury shine bright while far from the sun on Saturday (Oct. 8)

By Robert Lea published

Skywatchers can see Mercury half-lit and bright in the sky on Saturday, Oct. 8 as the planet is far enough from the sun to be spotted.

Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation (pre-dawn)

Catch the best views of Mercury at its highest in the sky on Saturday (Oct. 8)

By Robert Lea published

Mercury will appear brighter in the sky over the coming weeks. At dawn on Saturday, Oct. 8, skywatchers in the northern hemisphere can see Mercury at its farthest from the sunrise.