Please watch the southwestern sky right after sunset tonight. You may be able to see 3 planets at once: Mercury, Venus and Mars. In the Washington, DC area people often rely on the Washington Post Metro section’s back page for info about the Solar system. But the list does not include all planets visible to the naked eye. Last year the Post decided to eliminate Mercury from its list to save room!!!! See 12/16/16 list below. See how much room they saved by eliminating Mercury!
Mercury rises at 8:49 AM and sets at 6:08 PM. Mercury is very faint and pretty close to the horizon. You’ll need a location that allows you a clear view from not too high above the horizon. Even if you can’t see Mercury, look for Venus which is higher and extremely bright. Mars is easy to identify because of its subtle red glow. If it’s cloudy, try another evening when the sky is clear. Remember planets rise and set at a slightly different time every day so Mercury won’t be visible for much longer.
Please help me choose a good name for my blog. I need a name that will help people find the blog. What about “Walk this way”?