21–22 October 2026 — Orionid Meteor Shower

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun — and that is exactly what makes it so difficult to see.

For most of the year, the planet remains buried in the Sun’s glare. But on 12 October 2026, Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation, appearing about 25° east of the Sun from our viewpoint on Earth. This places it near its greatest possible separation from the sunset and creates one of the better opportunities of the year to find this elusive little world in the evening sky.

Catching the Elusive Planet

Mercury never wanders far across our night sky like Jupiter or Saturn. Because its orbit lies inside Earth’s, we always see it relatively close to the Sun.

At greatest eastern elongation, Mercury appears at its farthest point from the Sun in the evening sky. The planet will shine at approximately magnitude –0.1, brighter than most stars, and through a telescope it will appear roughly 60% illuminated.

The challenge is not brightness. It is finding Mercury before it sinks below the western horizon.

Look shortly after sunset toward a clear, unobstructed west to west-southwestern horizon. Do not expect a dramatic object. To the naked eye, Mercury looks like a small, steady point of light emerging from the fading twilight.

A Particularly Good Evening for the South

This October appearance strongly favours observers in the Southern Hemisphere. EarthSky describes it as the Southern Hemisphere’s best evening apparition of Mercury in 2026 because the angle of the ecliptic lifts Mercury higher above the evening horizon. From much of the Northern Hemisphere, the planet sits considerably lower and is harder to separate from the sunset glow.

A very young waxing crescent Moon is also nearby around this date. The Moon and Mercury come into conjunction later on 12 October UTC, passing only about 2° apart, making the twilight scene especially interesting where both are visible.

Where & When to Look

These are practical starting times rather than the exact instant of greatest elongation. Begin shortly after local sunset and look low toward the western horizon.

On 12 October, sunset occurs at about 6:53 PM in Singapore, 7:05 PM in Sydney, 5:54 PM in New Delhi, 6:13 PM in London, 6:20 PM in New York, and around 6:22–6:23 PM in Los Angeles.

From Singapore

Singapore lies close to the equator, giving Mercury a more favourable position than many northern cities during this apparition.

Sunset is around 6:53 PM. Begin watching from roughly 7:05–7:10 PM, while there is still some twilight, and concentrate on the western horizon. A location overlooking the sea or an open western skyline will make the search considerably easier.

Binoculars can help you locate Mercury while twilight is still bright, but never point binoculars anywhere near the Sun before it has completely set.

Once found, try looking without them. That tiny light is a world only slightly larger than our Moon, racing around the Sun every 88 Earth days.

A Planet We Rarely Notice

Mercury is always there, moving faster around the Sun than any other planet.

Yet from Earth, we see it only during narrow windows — briefly after sunset or shortly before sunrise.

Perhaps that is what makes finding it satisfying. Nothing spectacular announces its arrival. You simply know where to look, wait for the light to fade, and eventually a tiny point appears where moments earlier there seemed to be nothing.

Some things are worth looking a little harder to find.