Mercury will reach its furthest distance from the Sun, opening up the possibility of exploring this tiny planet.
On Friday, January 12, around 17:00 Kiev time, Mercury, the smallest planet in the solar system, will be at its farthest distance from the Sun. Space writes that from now until the end of January, the planet will shine brightly in the night sky, making it possible to observe it.
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Because Mercury is closest to the Sun, it is often eclipsed by the light of our star and therefore cannot be seen. When a minor planet is at its greatest distance from the Sun, it is easier to see from Earth. And this moment will come on the evening of January 12. But by the end of the month, Mercury will still shine brightly in the night sky and be accessible for observation.
Important
According to astronomers, at around 17:00 Kiev time on Friday, Mercury will be about 24 degrees away from the Sun. Mercury usually rises 9 to 21 degrees above the horizon after sunset and 11 to 19 degrees above the horizon before sunrise. 10 degrees in the sky is about the width of a fist at arm’s length.
The smallest planet in the solar system will have a size of -0.5. In this case, minus indicates that there will be a particularly bright object in the night sky. On Friday, January 12, Mercury will appear in Sagittarius.
During its orbit around the Sun (this period is 88 days), Mercury finds itself at the point farthest from the star when the planet comes between the Earth and the Sun. However, this occurs cyclically and the period is approximately every 116 days.
The periods when Mercury is clearly visible from Earth last for several weeks, and the planet is sometimes clearly visible only in the evenings and sometimes only in the mornings.
What time of day Mercury appears depends on which side of the Sun the planet is on as it approaches, reaches, and then moves away from the Sun. For example, when Mercury is east of the Sun, it rises and sets shortly after sunset and is visible in the evening. Conversely, when the planet is west of the Sun, Mercury rises and sets before the star rises and is visible in the morning.
As I already wrote Focusastronomers found that Mercury has decreased in size and has already lost 7 km of its radius. Mercury is slowly cooling due to heat leakage from the planet’s interior.
Moreover Focus He wrote that scientists believe Mercury was once larger than it is now. The fact is that a full object hit it, which deprived the planet of half its mass.
We remind you that this is the first time a record-breaking Chinese launch vehicle has been launched from a ship at sea. The first flight of the Orienspace Gravity-1 launch vehicle was an impressive demonstration, as written before Focus.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.