SkyEye

What is an Apparition?

An apparition of a planet is the period during which it is visible, beginning and ending with solar conjunction. In the cases of the inferior planets Mercury and Venus, it is the time between inferior and superior conjunction (morning apparition) and the time between superior and inferior conjunction (evening apparition). Because inferior planets are always near the Sun, they only appear in the east before sunrise and the west after sunset.

Below are a series of diagrams showing the morning and evening apparitions of Mercury and Venus as observed from latitude 30° south. The planet is shown on the 1st, 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st and 26th days of each month with the current year's positions shown in bright white. The path may extend from the previous year or into the next.

Mercury

Mercury undergoes several morning and evening apparitions every year. Morning apparitions occur between inferior conjunction (when the planet is at its dimmest) and superior conjunction (when the planet is at its brightest) whereas evening apparitions always start bright and end with the planet around sixth magnitude. This year, Mercury begins and ends the year at dawn, appearing four times in the east, and showing itself in the evening three times.

Mercury is descending toward the southeastern horizon as it complete's last year's final final morning apparition (blue track). It reappears (pink track) in east-northeast in late March in what is the best morning apparition of the year for observers at this latitude. This is followed by the worst eastern appearance (green track) between August and early September. The final morning appearance (orange track) is again in the southeast, beginning in late November and continuing into next year.

The first evening apparition (blue track) between mid-February and late March is the worst western appearance of the tiny planet for observers in northern temperate latitudes. The summer appearance (pink track) in June and July is quite good but the final evening apparition (green track) from mid-September to mid-November is the best time to catch this elusive planet after sunset.

Venus

Venus is the evening star as the year opens, reaching greatest elongation east in early January and then passing through inferior conjunction in March to appear in morning skies. It remains a morning sky object for the rest of the year, with greatest elongation west taking place at the beginning of June.

After starting the year in the evening sky, Venus is transformed into the morning star in late March. It continues its ascent above the eastern horizon into late May, after which it slowly loses altitude, following a "figure eight" track in the sky and disappearing by the end of the year.

Venus is already descending toward the western horizon as it completes the evening apparition of 2024. It disappears below the horizon around mid-March, only to reappear in the morning sky where it remains for the rest of the year.