The February Night Sky Offers a Chance to Observe the Planet Mercury
Skywatchers currently have a rare opportunity to observe Mercury, a planet that even Nicolaus Copernicus never saw. The best viewing conditions are expected on Thursday, February 19, 2026, shortly after sunset.
Mercury is the smallest of the eight planets in our Solar System and orbits very close to the Sun. Although the first recorded observations date back to the 14th century BC in Mesopotamia, its proximity to the Sun makes it one of the most difficult planets to observe. Despite shining brighter than most stars in the night sky—surpassed only by the brightest, Sirius—relatively few people have seen Mercury with the naked eye. Even Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) is believed never to have observed it.
“As Mercury orbits the Sun inside Earth’s orbit, it never appears far from the Sun in the sky. Like all planets, it lies close to the ecliptic—the apparent path of the Sun across the sky. At higher latitudes, the angle between the ecliptic and the horizon becomes smaller, which makes Mercury even harder to observe,” explains Ján Svoreň from the Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. He adds that Slovakia lies close to the northern limit where Mercury can still be observed under favourable conditions. In contrast, further north—in Poland, for example—Copernicus likely did not have the opportunity to see it.
In the coming days, Mercury will set more than an hour after the Sun, making observation possible, although it will be low above the bright western horizon. “The best conditions will occur around its greatest eastern elongation on February 19, when it will be up to 18 degrees from the Sun in the sky. By the end of February, Mercury will set shortly after sunset, and during the first ten days of March, it will no longer be visible,” the astronomer notes.
Under clear skies, Mercury can be seen with the naked eye, but even a small pair of binoculars can significantly improve the chances of spotting it.
“Immediately after sunset, bright Venus and a thin crescent Moon—just two days after the new Moon—will appear. Venus and the Moon can serve as useful reference points for locating the fainter Mercury. As the sky gradually darkens, Mercury will set before full darkness falls, so timing is crucial. As a bonus, after Mercury disappears below the horizon, Saturn—with its rings—will also be visible near the Moon,” explains Svoreň.
Prepared by: Jozef Bednár
Photo: canva.com
Illustration: Ján Svoreň, Astronomical Institute, SAS