Tonight, May 11, look southeast at 10 p.m. to see the 16-day-old-moon just north (left) of the front part of Scorpius the Scorpion.
Nine degrees southeast of the moon is red Antares in the heart of the Scorpion. These objects may be hard to see with the bright moon but should be visible in low-power binoculars.
Friday morning both Mercury and Venus are in the predawn sky. Look toward the east at 5 a.m. to catch brilliant Venus 20 degrees above the horizon. To the left of Venus and closer to the horizon is fleeting Mercury. Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation (distance from the Sun) of 28.5 degrees next Wednesday.
This is the best time to catch Mercury in the morning sky. Mercury is always a challenge. While it is bright, it never gets very far away from the sun and is always relatively low on the horizon in the predawn sky or in the early evening sky. It never sticks in one spot long.
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It takes a determined effort to see Mercury. You have to have a clear sky with a horizon relatively free of obstruction, and you have to know where to look. Fortunately, Mercury is bright enough to be easily recognized once found. All sky watchers should have Mercury on their to see list.
