Only a little larger than Earth's Moon and never far from the Sun's glare, Mercury is a challenging target for the amateur and professional astronomer alike. With ever-improving imaging techniques and filters, many amateurs are resolving details on the tiny disk. The ALPO Mercury Section is the place to stay up to date on what's happening with the innermost planet and how to contribute to our knowledge about it.
Mercury News Headlines
An Impact Between Equals Could Solve The "Mercury Problem"
9/24/2025
A new study suggests that Mercury's unusually large core may have resulted from a grazing impact with a similarly-sized protoplanet, a type of collision that was more common in the early solar system. This theory challenges the previous idea that a smaller object stripped away Mercury's outer layers. The upcoming BepiColombo mission could provide data to help confirm this new hypothesis.
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BepiColombo Successful Flyby of Jan 8th
1/8/2025
BepiColombo successfully captured stunning images of Mercury during
its flyby on January 8, 2025. The spacecraft flew to within 183 miles of
Mercury's surface, providing detailed views of the planet's north pole
and volcanic plains. These images reveal the rims and shadowed floors of
craters that are among the coldest places in the Solar System despite
Mercury's proximity to the Sun. The mission aims to search for frozen
water in these regions as well as learn more about the tiny planet's
volcanic history.
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Event Calendar
Oct 25, 2021
The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 18.4 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its hig
Feb 16, 2022
Mercury at greatest western elongation, best opportunity to see in morning sky
Apr 25, 2022
Mercury at dichotomy
Observation Spotlight
Featured Mercury Observation
Observer: Clyde Foster
Equipment: Celestron 355mm SCT f/11, Player One Mars-M II
An excellent image from Clyde Foster taken at his observatory in Nambia showing Mercury with surface details. Per Section Coordinator Frank Melillo, the bright area is the crater Kuiper.
Equipment: Celestron 355mm SCT f/11, Player One Mars-M II
An excellent image from Clyde Foster taken at his observatory in Nambia showing Mercury with surface details. Per Section Coordinator Frank Melillo, the bright area is the crater Kuiper.