If you missed Mercury after sunset several weeks ago, you can give it a try before sunrise.
There will be a wonderful lineup of morning planets the next couple of weeks. On Friday at 5:35 a.m., for example, you can see the ever-brilliant Venus 15 degrees above the eastern horizon. Mercury will be halfway between Venus and the horizon.
If you have a really clear eastern horizon, you will also see Saturn hovering just above it.
If you can get yourself out of bed before dawn, watch these planets around 5:30 a.m. every morning for the next two weeks. Venus and Mercury move against the background stars rapidly, while Saturn is fairly sluggish. Careful observation of Mercury and Venus will show obvious changes in position from day to day.
Because Venus is so bright, it is easy to see and it is a good pointer to nearby objects. As you watch Venus, Mercury and Saturn, you will note that Mercury and Venus move eastward every day and pass close to Saturn.
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Next Thursday, Mercury will pass within a half-degree of Saturn. This will be a fabulous sight in binoculars or a small telescope. On Oct. 13, Venus will pass within a degree of Saturn.
"Planet" means "wanderer" in Greek. All the planets move from west to east against the background starry sky. This reflects their revolution around the sun. Mercury and Venus, respectively, are the closest and second-closest planets to the sun.
Mercury and Venus never get too far from the sun in the sky and move much faster than the other visible planets — Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.