05/02/2022 – Ephemeris – The Moon and Mercury together where we can see them

This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Monday, May 2nd. Today the Sun will be up for 14 hours and 17 minutes, setting at 8:49, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:29. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 11:02 this evening.

The two-day-old thin sliver of a Moon will be left and above Mercury this evening. About the best time to spot them is between 9:30 and 10:15 pm, low in the western sky. They will be seen in the west-northwest. As we move through the week, the Moon will move away from Mercury to the east, while Mercury heads back toward the Sun and, dimming as it goes. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and averages 40 percent of the Earth’s distance from the Sun, so it is never seen at our northerly latitude outside of twilight. Mercury has the most elliptical orbit of the major planets. And it happens that at the best times to see Mercury, on spring evenings and autumn mornings, Mercury is at its nearest to the Sun. Southern Hemisphere observers get a better look at it because their best observing times are when Mercury is farthest from the Sun.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT – 4 hours). They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Mercury and the 2-day-old Moon as they might appear at 9:30 pm, or about 40 minutes after sunset tonight, May 2, 2022, looking low to the west-northwest. Aldebaran, slightly dimmer than Mercury, is the star to the left of the Moon. Created using Stellarium.