Rare Mercury elongation to light up sky on Feb 19

Panaji: Skygazers across Goa are in for a treat on Feb 19, when Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation, offering one of the best opportunities to observe the elusive planet. The event occurs when Mercury is at its farthest point from the Sun in the evening sky, and Mercury will shine brightly just above the sunset point, making it visible to the naked eye. This rare alignment will also showcase Venus below it, while the crescent Moon and Saturn will appear above, creating a stunning line-up in the twilight sky.

“The dazzling orange Mercury is clearly available to observe slightly above the sunset point at magnitude 0.3, around 6.39 pm, very low in the west on the day it reaches its highest point in the sky,” president of the Association of Friends of Astronomy, Goa, Satish Nayak told TOI.


While Mercury itself is often difficult to spot, its position on Feb 19 will make it the brightest and most prominent it was in some time. Its greatest eastern elongation is a rare event, occurring only a few times each year, making it a special occasion for stargazers. The stunning alignment of Venus, Mercury, the crescent Moon, and Saturn is expected to draw interest from both amateur and professional astronomers.

“This greatest eastern elongation day is considered the best time to see Mercury, best observed on the beaches of Goa. This year, the phenomenon will be special as Venus will be visible just below Mercury, and the crescent Moon and Saturn are visible just above, making for a spectacular combo in the sky,” Nayak said.