Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Friday, May 25th.  Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 10 minutes, setting at 9:14.   The moon, 3 days before first quarter, will set at 12:45 tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:03.

The planet Mercury will pass the behind the sun this weekend, in what is called superior conjunction.  It is called that because Mercury is beyond or superior to the sun.  Venus and Mercury can have both superior and inferior conjunctions because they are inferior planets, not a statement of their quality, but simply because they reside in orbits between the earth and the sun.  A conjunction occurs when two solar system bodies pass each other from our point of view.  Anyway Mercury will slowly move into our evening sky and by July first might be glimpsed in evening twilight.  Mercury can be seen near its greatest elongations or separations from the sun on spring evenings and autumn mornings.  July will push it a bit.

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