Venus and Mercury

Venus and Mercury

Tonight, when the sun goes down, step outside and face west. Mercury and Venus are converging in the sunset sky. Venus is on top in this picture taken by Giorgia Hofer on Jan. 3rd:

 "I was standing on top of Monte Rite (2,300 m) in the Italian Dolomites," says Hofer. "The two planets were an easy target for my Nikon digital camera with a 3 second exposure."
As the week unfolds, the two planets will draw closer and closer together. On the date of closest approach, Jan. 10th, they will be a scant 0.7 degrees apart--a conjunction so tight you can block it out with the tip of your pinky finger held at arm's length.
Venus is the brighter of the two, by a factor of approximately 16. If you can't see Mercury with the naked eye, you might be looking too soon after sunset. Wait a while for the twilight to deepen. Or if you have binoculars, aim them at Venus to reel in Mercury.
Monitor Spaceweather.com's photo gallery for Venus-Mercury snapshots from around the world. Better yet, go outside and see for yourself.

From SpaceWeather.com