Sky watch: Catch flickering Mercury and luminous Venus
The bright planet Jupiter is easily the "star" of the show right now, shining brightly in the southeastern sky after dark. It's really quite hard to miss.
But two other solar system worlds also play a prominent role - if you look in the right place at the right time.
Just after sunset this week, the elusive planet Mercury makes a rare appearance low in the southwest, but you will see it only if the sky is clear in that direction.
To find Mercury, head outdoors shortly after sunset and scan the southwestern sky with binoculars. You may spot it as a bright flickering "star" only about 10 or so degrees above the southwestern horizon. About half an hour after sunset, you should be able to see it with the unaided eye, not far to the left of the much fainter planet Mars.
On the evening of Dec. 6, the thin crescent moon will lie near the two planets; on the East Coast and Midwest, it will appear slightly to the right of Mars, while on the West Coast slightly to the left of Mars. No matter where you live, however, binoculars will show all three objects together in the same field of view on that night.
You can also aim a small, low-powered telescope toward Mercury. If you get a relatively steady image, you might check it out with a higher-powered eyepiece. You'll then notice that Mercury appears not circular but - depending on when you look - as a tiny gibbous, quarter or thick crescent.
The other planet we can see now is Venus - if you look before sunrise. This one will not be hard to spot since it outshines everything else in the pre-dawn sky.
Venus appears so luminous because it's the size of Earth and relatively nearby - about 38 million miles away. The planet also is shrouded in thick white clouds that reflect two-thirds of all sunlight.
On the morning of Dec. 2, the crescent moon will pass near Venus and create a dazzling sight for sky watchers. And a small backyard telescope aimed in its direction will show the planet in a beautiful crescent phase, much like the moon nearby.
