Mercury Sightings - Details for 2022

Mercury has seven elongations in 2022. The initial sighting by Joe Stieber for each of these is tabulated below:

Elongation #7

The first sighting of the seventh elongation for 2022 (the 76th elongation in a row overall) was on November 14, 2022, from my front yard in Maple Shade, NJ, under a clear blue daytime sky at 11:18 am EST using an 88 mm apo spotting scope at 60x. Contrast was low, but a distinct disc was apparent at 60x. It was found after sliding 2.4° west (to the right) of obvious Venus (mag -3.9). At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -1.02, 5.65″ diameter, 100% illuminated, 29.5° altitude, 169° azimuth and 3.6° east of the sun (center-to-center).

The second sighting of the seventh elongation for 2022 was on November 18, 2022, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, under a clear blue daytime sky at 10:38 am EST using an 115 mm apo spotting scope at 30x. Contrast was low and it was difficult to hold the view. It was found after sliding 1.4° west (to the right) of obvious Venus (mag -3.9). I found it a second time and was able to hold it and increase to 70x for a solid view of disc. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.85, 4.7″ diameter, 99% illuminated, 25.0° altitude, 157° azimuth and 5.8° east of the sun (center-to-center).

Elongation #6

The first sighting of the sixth elongation for 2022 (the 75th elongation in a row overall) was on October 6, 2022, from Marter Avenue (along the NJ Turnpike) in Mt Laurel, NJ, under a generally clear sky after nearly a week of clouds and rain from the stalled remnants of tropical storm Ian. It was initially seen with 8x42 binoculars at 5:39 am EDT (1.1° altitude) and then with unaided eyes at 5:42 am (1.7° altitude). At 6:05 am (5.9° altitude), I was able to see the thick crescent (41% illuminated) with an 88 mm apo spotting scope at 96x, albeit, seeing was not good at the low altitude and there was considerable atmospheric chromatic aberration. Mercury was still visible with unaided eyes when I pulled out at 6:25 am (9.6° altitude). At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.11, 7.5″ diameter, 17.6° from the sun and had a +1.1° ecliptic latitude. The ecliptic was steeply tilted 74° with respect to the horizon.

The second sighting of the sixth elongation for 2022 was on October 7, 2022, from Wharton State Forest (CzF), NJ, under a clear sky. It was initially seen at the distant treetops with unaided eyes at 5:51 am EDT (3.6° altitude) and ultimately followed into brightening twilight with 15x56 binoculars until about 6:40 am EDT (12.8° altitude). Sunrise would be at 7:01 am. At 6:59 am, Venus (magnitude -3.9) was spotted with the 15x56s at the treetops (3.4° altitude, 2 minutes before sunrise and just 4° from the solar limb). It was followed in the bright twilight with the 15x56s until 7:09 am when the risen Sun neared the treetops (so it technically became a daylight sighting). Venus was not seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.28, 7.3″ diameter, 45% illuminated, 17.8° from the sun and had a +1.3° ecliptic latitude. The ecliptic was steeply tilted 74° with respect to the horizon.

The third sighting of the sixth elongation for 2022 was on October 9, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, then subsequently from Marter Ave in Mt Laurel, NJ, each under a clear sky; even the pesky clouds so often seen along the horizon at sunrise or sunset were absent. A little ground fog was present, but it had little effect on viewing. Mercury was initially seen at Swede Run through a gap in the distant treetops with unaided eyes at 5:44 am EDT (1.9° altitude). I then moved to Marter Ave in Mt Laurel and saw Mercury with unaided eyes in brightening twilight until 6:40 am (12.4° altitude) and with 15x56 binoculars until about 6:47 am EDT (13.7° altitude). Sunrise would be at 7:04 am. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.54, 6.9″ diameter, 55% illuminated, 18.0° from the sun and had a +1.6° ecliptic latitude. The ecliptic was steeply tilted 74° with respect to the horizon.

At 6:51.5 am on October 9 (12.5 min before sunrise at 7:04 am), Venus (magnitude -3.9) was spotted with the 15x56s just above the roofline of a distant building (1°03′ altitude). It was followed in the bright twilight with the 15x56s until 7:09.5 am when the upper limb of the risen Sun breached the building's roofline, such that Venus and the solar limb were briefly visible simultaneously in the 15x56's 4.5° field-of-view. I looked for about 10 seconds, then glanced down at my watch to check and record the time. Looking back with unaided eyes, the sun had become too brilliant to warrant further viewing. At the time of the solar sighting, Venus was at 4°05′ altitude, the Sun at 0°45′ altitude, so the upper limb was at 1°01′ altitude. The pair were separated by 3°44′ center-to-center, or 3°28′ from the solar limb. Venus was never seen with unaided eyes. So, overnight on October 8/9, 2022, starting in my suburban yard in the evening, then Swede Run and Marter Ave in the morning, I spotted all of the Solar System's planets (from west to east): Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, Mars, Mercury and Venus; the first four numbered asteroids: (4) Vesta, (3) Juno, (2) Pallas and (1) Ceres, as well as the Moon and the Sun, using a mix of unaided eyes, 15x56 binoculars and/or an 88 mm apo spotting scope.

The fourth sighting of the sixth elongation for 2022 was on October 15, 2022, from Marter Ave in Mt Laurel, NJ, under a clear sky, although some ground fog was present, but it had minimal effect on viewing. With unaided eyes, Mercury was initially seen at 6:11 am EDT (3.9° altitude) and last seen in brightening twilight at 6:47 am (10° altitude). I never looked at Mercury with binoculars or a spotting scope. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.91, 5.9″ diameter, 77% illuminated, 16.0° from the sun and had a +2.0° ecliptic latitude. The ecliptic was steeply tilted 73° with respect to the horizon.

Venus was sighted using an 88 mm spotting scope, 25x, at 7:05:20 am, 0.9° altitude and 2.3° from the Sun, which would rise at 7:10 am. Venus was lost in solar glare at 7:13 am and the upper limb of the sun peeked over the distant roofline (the effective horizon) at 7:16 am. Later that day at the Maple Shade baseball field complex, Venus was spotted again with the 88 mm spotting scope at 2:50 pm. That evening (before midnight), Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mars were observed (with unaided eyes and/or 15x56 binoculars) as well as the Moon, the Sun and asteroids (4) Vesta and (3) Juno with the 15x56s. So with Mercury and Venus in the morning, all the planets, and a  few other solar system objects, were observed during the same calendar day.

The fifth sighting of the sixth elongation for 2022 was on October 27, 2022, from Marter Ave in Mt Laurel, NJ, under a clear blue sky. Mercury was initially spotted with 15x56 binoculars at in brightish twilight at 6:57 am EDT (2.6° altitude) and followed in brightening twilight until 7:05 am (3.5° altitude, sunrise would be at 7:23 am). It was not seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -1.09, 5.0″ diameter, 97% illuminated, 8.1° from the sun and had a +1.4° ecliptic latitude. The ecliptic was steeply tilted 70° with respect to the horizon.

Later in the day, while spotting Venus near the Sun around noon under a clear blue sky, I decided to look for Mercury, using Venus as a starting point. From Venus, it was about 10° right in azimuth, 5° up in altitude per SkySafari, so I used the graduated scale on the gimbal head of my mount to aim the scope accordingly (although it required some estimation since the graduations were in 7.5° increments). Regardless, once I moved to the estimated position at 12:05 pm EDT, Mercury was plainly visible, not far below-right of center in the 2.4° TFOV at 25x. Mercury was surprisingly easy to see, a gleaming silvery spot against the deep blue background, much like Venus looks when it's not so near the sun and the bright solar aureole. I've seen Mercury in the daytime before, but it had always been in twilight near sunrise or sunset. This was my first mid-day sighting, thanks to Mercury's deep blue sky and the bright -1.1 magnitude. In any case, looking at objects close to the Sun without a filter requires special precautions!

The sixth sighting of the sixth elongation for 2022 was on October 29, 2022, from the side yard of my house in Maple Shade, NJ, under a clear blue sky. Using the house to block the Sun, Mercury was initially spotted at 12:53 pm EDT with the 88 mm spotting scope at 25x, then 60x to confirm the disc, and followed for a few minutes to be sure it displayed the expected celestial motion (after which, I moved to the front yard and spotted Venus). At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -1.12, 4.9″ diameter, 98% illuminated and 6.5° from the sun.

The seventh sighting of the sixth elongation for 2022 was on November 2, 2022, from the side yard of my house in Maple Shade, NJ, under a clear blue sky. Using the house to block the Sun, Mercury was spotted at 12:51 pm EDT with the 88 mm spotting scope at 25x, then 60x to confirm the disc, and followed for a few minutes to be sure it displayed the expected celestial motion (before and after that, I was in the front yard spotting Venus). At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -1.20, 4.8″ diameter, 99% illuminated and 3.8° from the sun. Superior conjunction will be on November 8.

The eighth sighting of the sixth elongation for 2022 was on November 3, 2022, from the side yard of my house in Maple Shade, NJ, under a clear blue sky. Using the house to block the Sun, Mercury was spotted at 12:18 pm EDT with the 88 mm spotting scope at 25x, then 60x to confirm the disc, and followed for a few minutes to be sure it displayed the expected celestial motion (before that, I was in the front yard spotting Venus). At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -1.22, 4.7″ diameter, 100% illuminated and 3.2° from the sun. Superior conjunction will be on November 8.

Elongation #5

The first sighting of the fifth elongation for 2022 (the 74th elongation in a row overall) was on July 30, 2022, from the WAS's Barnegat Rd Observing Site in Woodland Twp, NJ, under a generally clear sky with a few wispy clouds along the horizon. The first thing spotted was the 2¼-day old, 4.9% illuminated crescent Moon at 7:58 pm EDT, 15 minutes before sunset at 8:13 pm. It was initially seen with 15x56 binoculars and then immediately afterwards with unaided eyes. Using the Moon as a starting point, I spotted Mercury at 8:16 pm EDT with the 15x56s. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.7, 8.1° altitude, 5.3″ diameter and 88% illuminated. It was 14.8° from the sun, had a +1.5° ecliptic latitude and the ecliptic was tilted 34° with respect to the horizon. I followed Mercury until 8:45 pm when it reached the tree line at 2.9° altitude.

Besides Mercury and the crescent Moon, I also spotted (from west to east) the planets Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus and Venus overnight July 30-31 (all from the Barnegat Rd site, except Venus, which was seen in morning twilight near my home in Maple Shade). Additionally, comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRRS), the minor planet/asteroid (4) Vesta and half-a-dozen meteors (including one fireball) were spotted at Barnegat. So, all seven planets plus four other types of solar system object were seen in a single night.

The second sighting of the fifth elongation for 2022 was on August 6, 2022, at 8:35 pm EDT from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a partly cloudy sky with some broken clouds along the northwest horizon as shown in the iPhone 11 snapshot below. Mercury itself had just disappeared behind a cloud above the distant pavilion when it was taken at 8:37 pm. Mercury was sighted with 15x56 binoculars and followed for a couple of minutes with them, but was never seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.3, 5.1° altitude, 5.6″ diameter and 79% illuminated. It was 20.0° from the sun, had a +0.9° ecliptic latitude with the ecliptic tilted just 29° with respect to the horizon. Sunset was at 8:08 pm.

Mercury was sighted at Swede Run, above the distant pavilion, at 8:37 pm EDT on August 6, 2022 (but obscured by a cloud in this iPhone 11 photo).

The third sighting of the fifth elongation for 2022 was on August 7, 2022, at 8:42 pm EDT from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, under a generally clear sky with some broken clouds along the northwest horizon. It was sighted with 15x56 binoculars and followed until 8:50 pm when it sank behind a cloud at the treetops. During that interval, I glimpsed Mercury a few times with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.2, 3.8° altitude, 5.6″ diameter, 78% illuminated and 20.6° from the sun. Having seen Mercury, I went on to see of the other planets overnight: Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus, Mars and Venus (from west to east) using unaided eyes, 15x56 binoculars and/or an 88 mm spotting scope. The gibbous Moon and the asteroid (4) Vesta were also seen. Sunset was at 8:07 pm.

The fourth sighting of the fifth elongation for 2022 was on August 8, 2022, at 8:38 pm EDT from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, under a generally clear sky, but murky along the northwest horizon. It was sighted with 10x42 binoculars and followed until 8:48 pm when it was near the treetops. It was not seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.2, 4.4° altitude, 5.7″ diameter, 77% illuminated and 21.3° from the sun. Sunset was at 8:06 pm.

The fifth sighting of the fifth elongation for 2022 was on August 11, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a generally clear sky, but but with scattered clouds along the northwest horizon. Sunset was at 8:02 pm EDT. Mercury was sighted at 8:26 pm with 10x42 binoculars and followed for a couple of minutes before I had to leave for Atsion. It was not seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.1, 6.1° altitude, 5.9″ diameter, 74% illuminated and 22.9° from the sun; the ecliptic was at a 28.3° tilt with respect to the horizon.

The sixth sighting of the fifth elongation for 2022 was on August 13, 2022, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, under a generally clear sky, but but with streaky clouds along the western horizon. Sunset was at 7:58 pm EDT. Mercury was sighted at 8:33 pm with 15x56 binoculars and followed for a couple of minutes before it sank into clouds, then reappeared at 8:41 pm for a couple of minutes. It was not seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.03, 4.5° altitude, 6.0″ diameter, 71% illuminated and 23.9° from the sun; the ecliptic was at a 27.7° tilt with respect to the horizon.

The seventh sighting of the fifth elongation for 2022 was on August 15, 2022, from Columbia Rd in Hammonton NJ, near the Hammonton Municipal Airport and not far from Batsto Village in Wharton State Forest, NJ. The sky was generally clear, but as is so often the case, there were broken, streaky clouds along the western horizon. Sunset was at 7:54 pm EDT. Mercury was sighted at 8:42 pm, only 11 minutes before it set at 8:53 pm, with 10x42 binoculars and followed for a minute before I continued to Batsto. It was not seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +0.02, 2.1° altitude, 6.2″ diameter, 69% illuminated and 24.8° from the sun; the ecliptic was at a 27.9° tilt with respect to the horizon.

The eighth sighting of the fifth elongation for 2022 was on August 29, 2022, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ. The sky was generally clear, with just a few streaky clouds along the western horizon. Sunset was at 7:36 pm EDT. The 2.6 day old crescent moon, about 6° above Mercury, was sighted through the car's windshield on the way to the field. Mercury was sighted at 7:50  pm, only 37 minutes before it set at 8:37 pm, with 15x56 binoculars and followed for five minute before I was driven away by mosquitoes. It was not seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +0.35, 6.7° altitude, 7.5″ diameter, 49% illuminated and 27.2° from the sun; the ecliptic was at a 27.0° tilt with respect to the horizon and Mercury was at 2.6°S ecliptic latitude (so much of its solar elongation was sideways).

The ninth sighting of the fifth elongation for 2022 was on August 31, 2022, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ. The sky was clear, without the streaky clouds so often seen along along the western horizon after sunset, which was at 7:33 pm EDT. Mercury was initially sighted at 7:52 pm, just 21 minutes before it set at 8:21 pm, with man 88 mm spotting scope at 40x. It was then found in 15x56 binoculars (not very prominent against the background twilight) just above the treetops. It was not seen with unaided eyes. With the spotting scope increased to 96x, the 46% illuminated disc looked elongated from along an axis from 1 to 7 o'clock (although woozy from poor seeing, it resembled a football with rounded tips). At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +0.41, 5.2° altitude, 7.8″ diameter, 46% illuminated and 26.9° from the sun; the ecliptic was at a 26.7° tilt with respect to the horizon and Mercury was at 2.9S south ecliptic latitude).

I had already seen the crescent moon on the way to the baseball field, and having spotted Mercury, I decided to continue to spot all the planets overnight. For good measure, I also wanted to try for the first six numbered minor planets (asteroids), so I headed to Atsion in Wharton State Forest, NJ. I succeeded with the planets, but failed to see asteroid (1) Ceres in bright morning twilight. Here's a summary table of my efforts.

 A Splendid Mercury Memento

On Thursday evening, July 14, 2022, while we were at Atsion Field to observe comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) near the globular cluster M10 in Ophiuchus, Suzanne Leap, who is my friend, observing companion, Secretary and Star Watch Director of the West Jersey Astronomical Society, gave me something very fitting to commemorate my ongoing series of planet Mercury sightings... an 87-year-old Mercury dime! It was an entirely unexpected memento that I will treasure.

Elongation #4

The first sighting of the fourth elongation for 2022 (the 73rd elongation in a row overall) was on June 6, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a cool, clear sky, with none of the usual streaky clouds along the horizon. Mercury was initially spotted at 4:59 am EDT with an 88 mm apo spotting scope at 25x (sunrise would be at 5:31 am, the earliest it gets at this location). It was faint against the bright twilight background and was one of the most difficult Mercury sightings I've had (but a fellow observer, Suzanne Leap, saw it too). I could not see it with my 15x56 binoculars, let alone unaided eyes, and I lost it at 5:07 am in the scope. At 60x, the crescent shape was vaguely evident as elongation from the-upper left to the lower-right due to poor seeing at the low altitude. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +1.8, 2.5° altitude, 10″ diameter and 17% illuminated, While a relatively generous 19.6° from the sun, Mercury was at -4.0° ecliptic latitude and the ecliptic had only a 36.5° tilt with respect to the horizon.

While at Swede Run this morning, beginning about 4 am, I also took a look at the other planets, all of which are now in the morning sky. From west to east, I saw Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Venus with unaided eyes (easily). Then with 15x56 binoculars and the 88 mm scope, I saw Neptune and the asteroid/minor planet, (4) Vesta. Mercury was seen as described above. Although I searched from 4:15 to 4:35 am with the spotting scope, I failed to spot Uranus, which was only magnitude +5.8 and 3.0° to 6.5° altitude in brightening twilight (not far below-left of brilliant Venus). I did see several "stars" that were posiibly Uranus, but could not find the needed nearby stars to form an identifiable pattern. Later this month, they should all be visible in the morning, additionally with a crescent moon. Here's an S&T press release about the planet lineup in June 2022.

The second sighting of the fourth elongation for 2022 was on June 10, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a cool, clear sky, with none of the usual streaky clouds along the horizon. Mercury was initially spotted at 4:46 am EDT with 15x56 binoculars (sunrise would be at 5:31 am, the earliest it gets at this location). It was much more easily seen than it was on June 6, but not seen with unaided eyes by time I left at 4:55 am. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +1.2, 2.1° altitude, 9.4″ diameter and 24% illuminated. It was 21.9° from the sun at -4.0° ecliptic latitude while the ecliptic had only a 36.2° tilt with respect to the horizon.

While there, in addition to spotting Mercury, I also saw the planets Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Venus with unaided eyes, Neptune and (4) Vesta with 15x56 binoculars and a 115 mm spotting scope, and Uranus with the 115 mm scope (unlike June 6, I was able to definitively identify four stars near Uranus for confirmation). So, all of the solar system's planets, and a minor planet/asteroid, were seen.

The third sighting of the fourth elongation for 2022 was on June 18, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a cool, partially cloudy sky, but clear along the eastern horizon. Mercury was initially spotted at 4:32 am EDT with 15x56 binoculars (sunrise would be at 5:31 am, the earliest it gets at this location). It was easily seen with the binoculars, but not seen with unaided eyes by time I left at 4:50 am. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +0.4, 2.0° altitude, 7.8″ diameter and 41% illuminated. It was 23.1° from the sun at -3.3° ecliptic latitude and the ecliptic was tilted  39.4° with respect to the horizon.

While there, in addition to spotting Mercury, I also saw the gibbous Moon, the planets Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Venus, with unaided eyes. Neptune, Uranus and the minor planet/asteroid (4) Vesta were seen with 15x56 binoculars. With unaided eyes aimed at Mars & Jupiter, I could see Venus (left) and Saturn (right) simultaneously in my peripheral vision. The view on June 18 was very similar to this chart below from Sky & Telescope, except on June 18, the gibbous Moon was about 6° from Saturn at the 5 o'clock position.

The fourth sighting of the fourth elongation for 2022 was on June 19, 2022, from Wharton State Forest, NJ, on a decidedly cool morning (55°F) with a really clear sky, except for a few streaky clouds along the eastern horizon. Mercury was initially spotted at 4:41 am EDT with 15x56 binoculars; sunrise would be at 5:30 am. It was easily seen with the binoculars just above the treetops (which are a little higher here than at Swede Run), and it was glimpsed with unaided eyes a few minutes later, then glimpsed periodically until about 4:50 am when twilight became too bright. I last saw it at 5:00 am with the 15x56s, just before packing up. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +0.3, 3.5° altitude, 7.7″ diameter and 43% illuminated. It was 23.0° from the sun at -3.2° ecliptic latitude and the ecliptic was tilted  39.6° with respect to the horizon.

While there, in addition to spotting Mercury, I also saw the gibbous Moon, the planets Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and Venus, with unaided eyes. Neptune and Uranus were seen with 15x56 binoculars and the minor planet/asteroid (4) Vesta required my 88 mm spotting scope (at 25x) because it was only about 1.5° from the moon (center-to-center). With unaided eyes aimed at Mars & Jupiter, I could see Venus (left) and Saturn (right) simultaneously in my peripheral vision.

The fifth sighting of the fourth elongation for 2022 was on June 26, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a clear sky, except for a few streaky clouds along the eastern horizon. Mercury was initially spotted at 4:32 am EDT with 15x56 binoculars; sunrise would be at 5:33 am. It was subsequently seen with 8x42 binoculars, but not with unaided eyes. I last saw it about 5:50 am just before I left for home. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.3, 2.1° altitude, 6.6″ diameter and 60% illuminated. It was 20.4° from the sun at -2.0° ecliptic latitude and the ecliptic was tilted  41.1° with respect to the horizon.

In addition to spotting Mercury in morning twilight, I saw all of the planets overnight, plus a few other solar system types. At Atsion in Wharton State Forest, I saw the planets Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, the dwarf planet (134340) Pluto, the minor planet/asteroid (4) Vesta. and comet C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS). I stopped at Swede Run on the way home and additionally spotted the planets Uranus, Venus, Mercury and the crescent  Moon. The International Space Station emerged from the earth's shadow about 4:20 am and traveled alongside the ecliptic. It reached magnitude -3 as it passed very close to Saturn (moving from west to east). Using my 8x42 binoculars towards the end, I had it in the same 9.1° field of view with the Moon, Venus and the Pleiades star cluster. Here's a timeline of when each object was initially observed on the night of June 25-26, 2022.

The sixth sighting of the fourth elongation for 2022 was on July 1, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a clear sky, but with ground fog. Mercury was initially spotted at 4:40 am EDT on my camera's viewing screen, then immediately after with 15x56 binoculars; sunrise would be at 5:35 am. It was glimpsed a few times with unaided eyes between 4:50 and 5:00 am. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.8, 2.0° altitude, 5.9″ diameter and 73% illuminated. It was 16.8° from the sun at -1.0° ecliptic latitude.

The seventh sighting of the fourth elongation for 2022 was on July 10, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, with a murky eastern horizon and some ground fog. Mercury was initially spotted at 5:17 am EDT with 15x56 binoculars; sunrise would be at 5:40 am. It was not seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -1.6, 2.3° altitude, 5.2″ diameter and 95% illuminated. It was 7.7° from the sun at +0.7° ecliptic latitude. I had not planned on looking for Mercury this close to superior conjunction (which occurs on July 16), but Sky & Telescope's This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 8 - 16 indicated that "Mercury is out of sight in conjunction with the Sun." That sounded like a challenge. Anyway, while at Swede Run, I spotted all the planets again, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were seen with unaided eyes while Mercury, Uranus and Neptune, plus the minor planet (4) Vesta, were seen with 15x56 binoculars. I also saw a nice fireball, about magnitude -6 over a 90° arc with a trail, and an ISS pass, not to mention a Great Blue Heron.

Mercury sighting location on July 10, 2022 (but not visible in this iPhone 11 photo).

Elongation #3

The first sighting of the third elongation for 2022 (the 72nd elongation in a row overall) was on April 11, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a somewhat cloudy sky, notably along the western horizon where there were streaky clouds and indifferent transparency. Mercury was spotted with 15x56 binoculars (on a monopod) at 7:48 pm EDT (sunset at 7:34 pm) after dropping down from a dark, horizontal cloud band while a distant aircraft was passing by it. It was only seen for a minute or so before disappearing into a murky gray patch of sky. At the time, Mercury was magnitude -1.5, 6.3° altitude, 5.4″ diameter and 92% illuminated. It was not seen with unaided eyes. This 72nd elongation numerically matches the observer's age (sort of like a golfer shooting his age).

The second sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on April 12, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a clear sky, even along the western horizon towards Mercury (no pesky clouds there for a change). It was initially spotted with 15x56 binoculars (on a monopod) at 7:38 pm EDT (sunset at 7:35 pm) as a distant aircraft passed by and it was picked up a few more times as a distant aircraft or bird passed by. It was not until 7:50 pm I could spot it without help from a plane or a bird. I suspect that in a brighter twilight sky where Mercury exhibits low contrast, a dark bird or plane provides then eyes a focusing target. I was able to glimpse Mercury with unaided eyes at 8:00 pm, then hold it in steady view at 8:03 pm. When first sighted, Mercury was magnitude -1.4, 8.8° altitude, 5.5″ diameter and 90% illuminated.

On April 14, 2022, I sent an e-mail to Gary Seronik, an editor at Sky & Telescope, about my ongoing Mercury sightings and I received a prompt and courteous response from him. I assumed that was the end of that, but much to my surprise, the "letter to the editor" was published in the August 2022 issue of S&T magazine as follows (click the image below for a PDF of the full page).

The third sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on April 15, 2022, from the parking lot of the Virtua Center in Moorestown, NJ (the West Jersey Astronomical Society meets there). The sky was generally clear, although there some streaky clouds along the horizon in the direction of Mercury. It was spotted with 10x42 binoculars at 7:49 pm EDT (sunset at 7:38 pm). It was not seen with unaided eyes on a quick glance, and I had to enter the building for a meeting. At the time of sighting, Mercury was magnitude -1.1, 10.7° altitude, 5.7″ diameter and 82% illuminated.

The fourth sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on April 17, 2022, from my kitchen looking out (and through) the back window at 8:13 pm EDT using 10x42 binoculars (sunset at 7:41 pm). It was seen immediately afterwards with unaided eyes. At the time of sighting, Mercury was magnitude -1.0, 8.5° altitude, 6.0″ diameter and 75% illuminated. Uranus, magnitude 5.9, was about 2° southeast of Mercury (approximately at the 8:30 o'clock position). I looked for it between 8:30 and 8:35 pm with 16x70 binoculars without success, even with the window open to move the less-than-sparkling-clean glass out of the way. By then, Mercury was fairly easy to see in deepening twilight, but it wasn't dark enough for dimmer Uranus around 4.5° altitude.

The fifth sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on April 19, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, at 8:01 pm EDT using 8x42 binoculars (sunset at 7:43 pm). It was seen with unaided eyes at 8:07 pm. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.8, 12.5° altitude, 6.2″ diameter and 69% illuminated. It was easily seen afterwards from the "Vegetable Stand" on Church St in Moorestown where I stopped on the way home to take a snapshot of it at 8:25 pm. By then, Mercury as easy to see in deepening twilight (sunset was at 7:43 pm).

Mercury at 8:25 pm EDT on April 19, 2022.

The sixth sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on April 22, 2022, from Dorbrook Park in Colts Neck, NJ, at 8:40 pm EDT using 8x42 binoculars through a gap in the clouds (sunset at 7:43 pm). It was not seen convincingly with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.5, 7.3° altitude, 6.7″ diameter and 58% illuminated.

The seventh sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on April 24, 2022, from the Steelmantown Observing Site in Belleplain State Forest, NJ, at 8:40 pm EDT using 15x56 binoculars through gaps in the trees (sunset at 7:46 pm). It was also seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude -0.2, 8.6° altitude, 7.0″ diameter and 51% illuminated.

The eighth sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on April 28, 2022, from the athletic field in Belleplain State Forest, NJ, at 8:24 pm EDT using 8x42 binoculars under a clear sky (sunset at 7:50 pm). It was seen with unaided eyes a few minutes later and became easily visible as twilight deepened (even through tree branches as it descended). Mercury was approaching the Pleiades star cluster and both fit easily in the same binocular field. A couple of the individual stars of the Pleiades became visible to unaided eyes as the sky darkened. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +0.3, 12.9° altitude, 7.8″ diameter and 39% illuminated.

The ninth sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on April 29, 2022, from Collins Lane Park in Maple Shade, NJ, at 8:23 pm EDT using 8x42 binoculars (sunset at 7:53 pm). It was spotted with unaided eyes at 8:31 pm, and although the sky was clear, suburban light pollution prevented it from being easily seen. At 8:27 pm in my 88 mm apo spotting scope using 96x, Mercury varied between a wriggling banana shape and a thick crescent as the seeing fluctuated. At 25x (2.4°FOV), both mercury and the Pleiades fit in the same field, a lovely sight (see a snapshot of the grouping below). In the 8x42s, the Pleiades were weak. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +0.4, 8.6° altitude, 8.0″ diameter and 36% illuminated.

Mercury, below-left of the Pleiades, at 8:52 pm EDT on April 29, 2022.

The tenth sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on April 30, 2022, from the Barnegat Rd Observing Site in Greenwood Forest, NJ, at 8:33 pm EDT through gaps in the clouds using 8x42 binoculars (sunset at 7:51 pm). It was seen with unaided eyes at 8:50 pm. Mercury was still relatively close to the Pleiades which were finally picked up with the binoculars not long before they descended behind the trees. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +0.6, 11.6° altitude, 8.2″ diameter and 33% illuminated.

The eleventh sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on May 2, 2022, from Collins Lane Park in Maple Shade, NJ, at 8:17 pm EDT in a cloud-free sky, but transparency wasn't good (sunset at 7:56 pm). Mercury was initially sighted with 15x56 binoculars at 8:17 pm EDT 4° below-right of the 2.2-day-old crescent moon, and with unaided eyes at 8:34 pm. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +0.9, 14.6° altitude, 8.7″ diameter and 27% illuminated. At 8:20 pm, using an 88 mm apo spotting scope at 60x, Mercury's thick crescent was visible, varying between that and a wiggling banana as the seeing fluctuated.

The twelfth sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on May 4, 2022, from Collins Lane Park in Maple Shade, NJ, at 8:17 pm EDT in a generally cloud-free sky, but there was a cloud band low along the northwestern horizon (sunset was at 7:59 pm). However, Mercury was above the clouds and was spotted at 8:34 pm EDT with 10x42 binoculars (I then swung left to spot Aldebaran to be sure there was no confusion between them). Mercury was glimpsed with unaided eyes at 8:37 pm, then sank behind the cloud bad about 8:45 pm. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +1.2, 11.1° altitude, 9.2″ diameter and 22% illuminated.

The thirteenth sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on May 5, 2022, from Historic Smithville Park in Easthampton, NJ, at 8:35 pm EDT through broken clouds with 10x42 binoculars, then subsequently with an 88 mm spotting scope. It was not seen with unaided eyes and no crescent was discerned with the scope. Sunset was at 7:58 pm. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +1.4, 10.4° altitude, 9.4″ diameter and 20% illuminated.

The fourteenth sighting of the third elongation for 2022 was on May 9, 2022, from Collins Lane Park in Maple Shade, NJ, at 8:31 pm EDT through breaking clouds with 15x56 binoculars.  Sunset was at 7:58 pm. With an 88 mm apo spotting scope at 96x, Mercury's crescent was observed at 8:38 pm, but seeing subsequently deteriorated as twilight darkened and Mercury dropped in altitude. It was not seen with unaided eyes. At the time of initial sighting, Mercury was magnitude +2.2, 8.9° altitude, 10.4″ diameter and 12% illuminated. Magnitude +0.9 Aldebaran was spotted with the 15x56s at 8:39 pm, 9° to the left of Mercury, then seen with unaided eyes at 8:49 pm.

Without making a deetailed check of history, I am fairly certain that this third elongation of 2022 includes the greatest number of dates on which Mercury was sighted, fourteen (14), and the greatest number of different locations from which it was sighted, nine (9), during a single elongation.

Elongation #2

The first sighting of the second elongation for 2022 (the 71st elongation in a row overall) was on January 30, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a clear sky in cold conditions (10°F) following a nor'easter that left 4 to 6 inches of snow the day before. Brilliant Venus and the 4.3% crescent Moon were seen from the car while heading down Westfield Rd, and Mars was sighted at 6:45 am with 15x56 binoculars. Mercury was initially sighted at 6:43 am EST in bright twilight (sunrise would be at 7:10 am) with 15x56 binoculars. At the time, Mercury was at 6.0° altitude and magnitude +1.6, 9.6″ diameter, 15% illuminated. It was not seen with unaided eyes.

The second sighting of the second elongation for 2022 was on February 6, 2022, from East Point, NJ, under a very clear sky in cold conditions (18°F). Brilliant Venus and less bright Mars were also seen. Mercury was initially sighted with unaided eyes at 5:51 am EST, almost accidentally while estimating the azimuth at which it would appear along the horizon, ahead of sunrise at 7:02 am. When initially sighted, Mercury was at 1.7° altitude, magnitude +0.4, 8.4″ diameter and 37% illuminated. It was followed with unaided eyes until 6:20 am, and in between, it was observed with 15x56 binoculars and a 115 mm apo spotting scope at 30 to 70x. Poor seeing at the low altitude precluded seeing the crescent shape in the scope.

The third sighting of the second elongation for 2022 was on February 20, 2022, from Lenola (the old A&P lot) in Moorestown, NJ, under a very clear sky. Venus (magnitude -4.6) blazed in the southeast but magnitude +1.3 Mars required binoculars to pick up in brightening twilight around 6:10 am EST (sunrise would be at 6:46 am). Magnitude 0.0 Mercury was initially sighted with 8x42 binoculars at 6:10 am, then unaided eyes (with difficulty) a minute later. At the time, Mercury was at 6.1° altitude, 6.6″ diameter and 64% illuminated.

The fourth sighting of the second elongation for 2022 was on March 2, 2022, from Swede Run in Moorestown, NJ, under a very clear sky. Venus (magnitude -4.5) blazed in the southeast but magnitude +1.2 Mars required binoculars to pick up in brightening twilight at 5:55 am EST (sunrise would be at 6:31 am). Magnitude -0.1 Mercury was initially sighted with 15x56 binoculars at 6:00 am, but was not seen with unaided eyes. Magnitude +0.8 Saturn was simultaneously visible in the binoculars, 43 arc minutes from Mercury at the 10 o'clock position (they would be in conjunction at 8 am). When first sighted, Mercury was at 3.2° altitude, 5.8″ diameter and 77% illuminated. This was the first sighting of Saturn since its solar conjunction on February 4, 2022.

Elongation #1

The first sighting of the first elongation for 2022 (the 70th elongation in a row overall) was on December 19, 2021, from Wharton State Forest (CzF), NJ, under a clear sky as a secondary object while sighting comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard). Brilliant Venus was used as the primary guide, while Saturn and bright Jupiter were in a row not far east of Venus. These four objects were observed on all the succeeding December sessions. Mercury was initially sighted at 4:51 pm EST in moderately bright twilight with 15x56 binoculars (sunset was at 4:36 pm). At the time, Mercury was at 3.9° altitude and magnitude -0.7, 5.0″ diameter, 94% illuminated. It was not seen with unaided eyes.

The second sighting of the first elongation for 2022 was on December 20, 2021, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, under a clear sky. It was spotted at 5:01 pm EST with 15x56 binoculars. At the time, it was barely above the tree tops at 3.0° altitude, magnitude -0.7, 5.1″ diameter 94% illuminated. It was not seen with unaided eyes.

The third sighting of the first elongation for 2022 was on December  23, 2021, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, through thin clouds. It was spotted at 5:08 pm EST with 15x56 binoculars. At the time, it was just above the tree tops at 3.7° altitude, magnitude -0.7, 5.2″ diameter 91% illuminated. It was not seen with unaided eyes.

The fourth sighting of the first elongation for 2022 was on December 26, 2021, from the lighthouse parking area at East Point, NJ, under a mostly clear sky. There were some passing thin clouds and thicker clouds along the sea horizon (which turned a fiery orange color after sunset at 4:44 pm EST). Mercury was initially spotted at 5:00 pm, 7.0° altitude, 6° below Venus. At the time it was magnitude -0.7, 5.4″ diameter and 87% illuminated. It was glimpsed with unaided eyes at 5:24 pm at 3.4° altitude.

The fifth sighting of the first elongation for 2022 was on January 4, 2022, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, under a mostly clear sky with some scattered clouds along the horizon; sunset at 4:48 pm EST. The exquisitely thin crescent Venus, 0.8% illuminated four days before inferior conjunction, was spotted with 15x56 binoculars at 5:05 pm (4.3° altitude) then seen with unaided eyes. Mercury was spotted at 5:06 pm with 15x56 binoculars, 10.9° altitude. At the time it was magnitude -0.7, 6.4″ diameter and 68% illuminated. It was glimpsed with unaided eyes at 5:10 pm, unambiguously visible with unaided eyes at 5:17 pm and by 5:30 pm, was obvious with unaided eyes.

The sixth sighting of the first elongation for 2022 was on January 7, 2022, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, under a mostly clear sky; sunset was at 4:51 pm EST. Mercury was spotted with the 15x56 binoculars through the car's windshield at 5:18 pm (I was taking refuge from a strong wind) the subsequently seen with unaided eyes.

The seventh sighting of the first elongation for 2022 was on January 11, 2022, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, under a clear sky; sunset was at 4:55 pm EST.  Mercury was spotted with 15x56 binoculars at 5:31 pm then immediately afterwards with unaided eyes. At the time, Mercury was 8.7° altitude, magnitude -0.1, 7.8″ diameter and 39% illuminated. By 5:40 pm, it was easily visible with unaided eyes.

The eighth sighting of the first elongation for 2022 was on January 14, 2022, from the baseball field complex in Maple Shade, NJ, under a clear sky; sunset was at 4:58 pm EST.  Mercury was spotted with 8x42 binoculars at 5:31 pm. At the time, Mercury was magnitude +0.6, 7.4° altitude, 15.6° solar elongation, 8.5″ apparent diameter and 24% illuminated. Then at 5:32 pm, it was located with an 88 mm apo spotting scope at 25x, increased to 60x in an attempt to see the crescent. However, the low altitude, poor seeing, significant atmospheric chromatic dispersion and jiggling from a strong buffeting wind allowed only a somewhat horizontal elongation to be seen. Mercury was first seen with unaided eyes at 5:38 pm.

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The current streak is now 76 elongations in a row, completing my twelfth calendar year of seeing Mercury at every elongation (beginning in January 2011). There are six or seven elongations per year. The years 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2022 each had seven (7) elongations, while 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 each had six (6). That's 76 elongations in 12 years, or an average of 6.3 elongations per year. Click here for sightings in 2021. The purpose of this ongoing effort is not to set some record, especially since I have no idea what sort of record might exist (my note to Gary Seronik shown above that was published in S&T yielded no responses). Regardless, it demonstrates that locating and seeing Mercury is not nearly as difficult as many suppose. It just takes a little planning and effort, although circumstances make some elongations easy and some difficult.

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Last Update: Friday, November 18, 2022 at 11:47 AM Eastern Time