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Observing
Mercury from Earth
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Mercury orbits close to the
Sun
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visible to naked eye only
within 2 hours of sunrise or sunset
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brightest object in the sky
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orbit is eccentric, some
elongations are greater than others
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telescopes see Mercury best
during the day (with filters)
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best view through atmosphere
is straight up
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Mercury sometimes transits
the sun (analogy solar eclipse)
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like the moon, not everything
lines up every time
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