Take a moment this weekend to look towards the western sky just after sunset and you’ll see two planets, Venus and Mercury, together. The two appear so close that they can whisper to each other. The western sky has to be cloudless and you’ll need an unencumbered view; no trees or hills in the way.
The two planets are visible about a half hour to an hour after sunset. Venus will be the easiest to spot, riding above the horizon in the glow of twilight. Venus is brilliant, as bright as an airplane with approach lights coming in for a landing. Take a more careful look and Mercury is right there. The planets are less than two degrees apart.
Their “togetherness” will last for several nights, but after the weekend they’ll move farther and farther apart.
While they look close, there is no chance they’ll collide. Venus is 148 million miles away. Mercury is closer to us at 111 million miles away. And for comparison, the sun is about 93 million miles away.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., March 2 | 6:15 | 5:32 |
| Sat., March 3 | 6:13 | 5:34 |
| Sun., March 4 | 6:12 | 5:35 |
| Mon., March 5 | 6:10 | 5:36 |
| Tues., March 6 | 6:09 | 5:37 |
| Wed., March 7 | 6:07 | 5:38 |
| Thurs., March 8 | 6:05 | 5:39 |
| Fri., March 9 | 6:04 | 5:41 |
| Day | Max (Fº) | Min (Fº) | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 23 | 43 | 33 | 0.09 |
| Feb. 24 | 46 | 35 | 0.18 |
| Feb. 25 | 57 | 40 | 0.36 |
| Feb. 26 | 45 | 39 | 0.75 |
| Feb. 27 | 48 | 30 | 0.00 |
| Feb. 28 | 51 | 34 | 0.00 |
| March 1 | 56 | 39 | 0.00 |
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