Little Mercury is visible for most of June 2026, although probably lost from view from around 20 June onwards.
It reaches greatest eastern elongation on 15 June, when it appears separated from the Sun by 24.5°. However, viewing it is not without its complications.
The good news is that we have a major conjunction to guide the way.
More planet advice
Jupiter and Venus have been converging over previous weeks to reach minimum separation on 9 June.
If you’ve been watching this event unfold, you’ll be only too aware of the challenges of viewing planets in the west after sunset – namely, the brightness of the evening twilight.
As we approach the June solstice, the sky after sunset seems to take a long time to get dark and even then, it’s not properly dark.
Observing Mercury, June 2026
At the start of June, Mercury shines at mag. –0.4 and sets nearly two hours after the Sun, meaning a watch from 40 minutes after sunset should give you a decent amount of time to find the planet under darkening twilight.
Moving towards the centre of the month, a second complication kicks in as the tilt angle of the ecliptic – and consequently Mercury’s orbit – begins to decrease, keeping the planet low after sunset, despite its greater separation from the Sun.
We’ve chosen 7 June 2026 as an optimum time to start looking for Mercury.
On this date, shining at mag. +0.0, the planet should be visible from around 40 minutes after sunset, setting 80 minutes later (120 minutes after the Sun).
It’ll be 13.6° from Venus in a line towards the Sun on 7 June, with Venus and nearby Jupiter providing a visual anchor for locating dimmer Mercury.
It dims only slightly over the following days, providing a great opportunity to see it close to the show-stealing conjunction.
At a glance – key tips
- Best time to see: 7 June from 40 minutes after sunset
- Altitude: 9°
- Location: Gemini
- Direction: Northwest
- Features: Phase, variation in surface brightness through larger scopes
- Recommended equipment: 75mm or larger
If you observe or photograph Mercury throughout June 2026, send us your images and they could appear in a future issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine
