Starwatch: Mercury up before the sun – but only in the southern hemisphere

Northern latitudes will have to wait until March and April for better view of the inner planet

The inner planet Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation from the sun this week.

This means that from the point of view of Earth, Mercury will be the furthest it can possibly be from the sun. For many around the world, especially the southern hemisphere, this means it will be at its easiest to pick out from the early-morning twilight sky.