This week, the evening twilight holds a planetary treat for those with a bit of patience and a clear view to the northwest. Low in the fading glow of the sun, the elusive planet Mercury puts in a rare appearance. If you catch it — just above the horizon as the sky darkens — you’re seeing a world just over 105 million kilometres away. Through a telescope, Mercury appears as a delicate crescent, only about 25% illuminated, and is very small. It’s in the constellation Cancer, a dim patch of sky that doesn’t offer much in the way of bright stars but does cradle the lovely Beehive Cluster — though you’ll need binoculars and dark skies to find it.
A bit higher in the sky, not far behind the departing sun, Mars lingers in the western sky. It’s a rusty speck now, not as bright as it can be during closer approaches, but still worth seeking out. At more than 300 million kilometres away, Mars is far beyond Mercury’s neighbourhood, and tonight it lies in Leo. That constellation is ruled by Regulus, a hot blue-white star that marks the heart of the lion. Regulus is a respectable 79 light years away, and if you’re feeling poetic, you could imagine it as the lion’s beating heart, pulsing softly in the velvet dark.
If you stay out too long, your nose will feel the bite of frost, but your soul might just feel warmer.
Midwinter skies ask little of us — just time and perhaps a decent jacket — and in return, they offer the vast, quiet company of planets and stars. Worth it, I’d say.
