Hi. I've been reading that, this week, Mercury is supposed to be at its very brightest all year in the dawn sky. Therefore, if you just go out early enough and look in the right direction, it should be reasonable to expect to get a glimpse of Mercury. While all that sounds great on paper, in reality, it feels like a cruel joke. 😜
Where I live (in the Southern U.S.), sunrise occurs at about 7:30 a.m. Anyway, this morning, I went outside at about 6:30 a.m., and stayed for around 20 minutes. I live in a rural area, so in theory, I should be able to see Mercury. The skies were completely clear as well. I also have a decent pair of 10x50 binoculars, which I can even see Neptune (faintly) with. Furthermore, I knew pretty much where to look—low in the sky, slightly to the right of due east.
But where Mercury is concerned, this morning I couldn't see jack. 🤔 It seems to me that at about 6:45 a.m. (45 minutes before sunrise at my location), the dawn glare becomes bright enough that you can't make out anything close to the horizon.
So . . . is it really possible for a "normal" observer to see Mercury in the dawn sky this week, or is it all just polite fiction? And if it is possible, why haven't I been able to see it yet? And what could I do differently the next few mornings in order to be able to see it?
Thanks for any helpful tips.