December 18, 2022
Mercury is approaching its greatest elongation – the point where it is the farthest from the Sun. This occurs on December 21, which is also the Winter Solstice and the shortest day of the year. Mercury will be visible to the west, just after sunset at that time.
Van Eyck crater seen on Mercury by the Messenger mission. Image credit:
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington