Catch a Glimpse

1/28/07 – 2/3/07
by C. Zaitz

We have a somewhat rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of a planet that usually hides in the glow of the sun. Little planet Mercury should be visible in the western sunset glow until about the 7th of February. You’ll need a pretty flat western horizon and a little patience to see the diminutive and shy planet, but once you see him, you’ll never forget it.

Here’s why: as you look toward the west at sunset, you can see our entire inner solar system. Venus, shining brightly even a half hour after sunset, will be the first thing you notice. You can’t miss her; she is the brightest celestial object after the sun and moon. Venus dominates the sky after the sun goes down. She was named for the goddess of love and beauty, for the obvious reason of her glorious glow. She shines so brilliantly that she can be mistaken for man-made or even alien craft. If you watch her for a minute or two, you’ll notice her steady light. This is no plane or UFO, it's the brilliant evening "star."

Once you find Venus, you should look a little down and to the right to find Mercury. This planet was named for the fleet footed god of the Romans, Mercury. As the closest planet to the sun, his orbit is small and fast. He whips around the sun once every 88 days. But it’s not his speed that makes him hard to see, it’s the fact that the smallest of the planets is never very far from the sun. When you look for Mercury, you’ll have to balance waiting for the sun to be low enough for the skies to darken, but not waiting too long so that it sets. Don’t give up on Mercury, though- he’s worth the wait. Seeing Mercury is like the thrill of seeing a rare but hidden flower or bird.

Standing on planet Earth, third from the sun, we can skim past our own horizon, looking past our own atmosphere and see Venus and Mercury rushing in their trips around the sun. The inner solar system is very busy, and relatively close together and dense, just as when the solar system first formed. Most of the mass and heavy elements literally gravitated toward the middle. These inner planets are dense, fast and alone. No moons tag along to hinder the orbits of Mercury or Venus.

Further out, and seen later in the evening, are the giant planets Saturn and Jupiter, and even Mars. To see Saturn, you don’t have to wait too long after sunset. Look toward the east around 9pm and you’ll see the giant gas planet glowing near the constellation of Leo. Leo reminds me of a backwards question mark, but to see the whole constellation, you’ll have to wait up till midnight or so. As long as you’re up watching the skies, you might as well wait till morning, around 7am, when you can catch a glimpse of the last two planets of the night. Jupiter will be hanging low near the glow of sunrise, and planet Mars, dimly glowing, will be even closer to the horizon. But if you have a clear view of the east on your morning commute and catch a glimpse of these planets, you will have seen the entire visible solar system over the course of one night. What more could you ask for?

Until next week, my friends, enjoy the view.