Get a great view of Mercury this week

(EndPlay Staff Reports) - Star gazers and sky watchers will appreciate the opportunity this week to get a rare view of the planet Mercury.

According to Universe Today , if you have a good view of the western horizon, you will be able to get a brief glimpse of Mercury during twilight.

EarthSky reported that the months of February and March are proving to be some of the best times for viewing all of the planets this year. The site points out that Venus and Jupiter have been bright recently, especially at dusk.

Space.com reported that besides Sirius (the brightest star in the sky) and the Moon, Jupiter and Venus are the brightest and easiest objects to spot in the night sky.

If you want to get a good view of Mercury, EarthSky suggested these directions:

• Look at the western horizon 45-75 minutes after sunset.
• Locate the waxing crescent moon.
• Draw an imaginary line from Jupiter to Venus, and finally to Mercury, which will be just above the horizon.

The best times to do this will be Wednesday and Thursday night this week.

Here are some facts about Mercury, according to Space.com :

• Closest planet to the sun
• Smallest planet
• Circles the sun the fastest
• Named after the Roman god Mercury (swift-footed messenger)
• Takes 59 days to completely rotate
• Has a magnetic pull like Earth

To read a more detailed forecast of what to observe in the sky the last week of February, go to Universe Today's website .