It seems like only yesterday little Mercury was doing its pas de deux with Venus in the morning sky. Now here it is climbing steeply away from the setting Sun, a lovely evening apparition. Mercury darts around the Sun every 88 days, dawn to dusk and back again. The "hummingbird" planet, star guru Fred Schaaf calls it.A head's up: Next Friday evening, the 11th, a deliciously thin crescent Moon will join Mercury in the darkening sky at sunset. Put it on your calendar and hope for clear skies.
