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Starwatch November 9, 2020 Venus and Mercury
There is a beautiful alignment to look out for in this week’s morning sky as the waning crescent moon makes its way towards the brilliant Venus lighthouse and the rarely seen innermost planet Mercury.
Spica is added to the scene, the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo, the virgin. The graph shows the view looking east-southeast from London, at 6:00 GMT on 12 November. Mercury, Venus and Spica will be visible throughout the week, with the moon getting closer and closer as it disappears from view.
On November 12, only 12.5% of the lunar surface will be illuminated, making it a beautiful crescent to behold in its own right. Venus will be unmistakably bright, but Mercury is always a challenge. Being the innermost planet in the solar system, it never moves away from the sun, so find an observation point that has a clear horizon.
From the southern hemisphere, Mercury is much harder to spot this time, but the moon and Venus will be visible, hugging the eastern horizon just before sunrise.
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