Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Labor Day, Monday, September 5th.  The sun will rise at 7:09.  It’ll be up for 13 hours and 2 minutes, setting at 8:12.   The moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 1:13 tomorrow morning.

The planet Mercury is now very low in the eastern sky before sunrise.  This tiny planet was at its greatest apparent distance from the sun yesterday.  Astronomers call it greatest elongation and its separation from the sun was an 18 degree angle.  Mercury will be very close to the east northeast horizon in the 6:30 a.m. twilight.  Once found, you can probably follow it for the next 20 minutes or so.  Mercury will be visible for the next week of so.  The cool thing is that it will become brighter.  It’s illuminated by the sun, and as it moves away from us around the sun its phase or illuminated portion from our vantage point becomes larger.  Currently Mercury is being studied up close by the MESSENGER spacecraft now orbiting it.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Mercury in the morning in early September 2011. Chrat created using Stellarium.