Look at the east-northeast horizon before dawn on Monday (June 27) to see how the moon ends its monthly journey through the morning plants with Mercury.
“The silvery splinter of the crescent of the old moon will shine several finger widths at the top left (or 3.5 degrees north celestial) of the bright spot of Wednesday“writes Chris Vaughan, an amateur astronomer at SkySafari Software who oversees Space.com’s Night Sky calendar.
The couple will be close enough to share the view of a pair of binoculars (represented by the green circle in the picture). But Vaughan warns observers to move their optics away from the eastern horizon before the sun rises.
Related: The brightest planets in the June night sky: how to see them (and when)
The moon can be quite difficult to detect at first glance, as it will be a very thin crescent moon, only 3% illuminated, according to Space.com. the sky observation columnist Joe Rao.
If you’re looking for an extra challenge to see the sky, look for Aldebaran. The first-magnitude orange star will shine about 7 degrees to the left of Mercury, according to Rao.
Monday morning is also your last good chance to see how the moon joins the rare planetary alignment that has been present this month. Throughout June, from left to right, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn have aligned in their orbital order from left to right in the southeastern sky.
Want to capture a good picture of the moon and mercury? Our guide on how to photograph the moon has some helpful tips. If you are looking for a camera, here is our overview of the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography. As always, our guides to the best telescopes and binoculars can help you prepare for the next big sky-watching event.
Editor’s note: If you take a picture of the moon near Mercury, let us know! You can send images and comments to spacephotos@space.com.
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