Mercury is farthest from the sunset on October 12
The innermost planet, Mercury, will be 25 degrees from the sun at greatest elongation at 10 UTC on October 12. Look for it shortly after sunset. The post Mercury is farthest from the sunset on October 12 first appeared on EarthSky .
On October 12, Mercury will reach its farthest point from the sunset, marking its greatest elongation in October 2026. This celestial event will be visible in the Southern Hemisphere shortly after sunset, with Venus shining brightly alongside Mercury in the west. However, viewers in the Northern Hemisphere may have difficulty spotting Mercury due to its low angle in the sky.
At its brightest, Mercury will shine with a magnitude of around -0.1, making it brighter than most stars. The innermost planet will be 25 degrees away from the sun in our sky, appearing about 60% illuminated through a telescope. Mercury will be located in the constellation Libra the Scales during this time. Following its greatest elongation, Mercury will rapidly move closer to the horizon throughout the remainder of October and will eventually become invisible late in the month, passing between Earth and the sun on November 4.
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