Mercury is at its greatest western elongation (distance) from the sun Thursday, Jan. 19. That means it is well-placed for viewing in the predawn sky. On Friday, look toward the southeast around 6:50 a.m. to catch ever-fleeting Mercury 10 degrees above the horizon.
Higher above the horizon is Saturn, and to the right (south) of Saturn and Mercury is Scorpius the Scorpion. Mercury will be visible in the morning sky for the next 10 days or so. Next Wednesday morning, Jan. 25, the thin 27-day old crescent moon will be sitting just above Mercury in the predawn sky.
Now is a good time to look for Eridanus the River, most of which is directly south at 7 p.m. Eridanus is a meandering string of stars starting near the bright star Rigel in the western foot of Orion and ending up 60 degrees west of Orion at Achernar, the ninth brightest star.
Orion will be the in the southeast and Eridanus will stretch across the southern sky with Achernar south right along the horizon. Eridanus is fairly dim and not spectacular, but it at least resembles what it is supposed to represent.
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Most of Eridanus is easy to see in a dark sky, but Achernar is a challenge as it is so far south. I have seen it several times from Sonoita and environs as it skimmed above the southern horizon.
