Venus and Mercury at dusk, 2026-2028

Explainer · 0:58 · silent, with on-screen words

Why Venus and Mercury never stray far from the Sun, and how high each evening greatest elongation of 2026-2028 puts them over Georgetown, Guyana, at dusk.

The video file (MP4, 2229 kB)

Shows Georgetown (6.80° N, 58.16° W) facing west at the end of civil twilight on every evening greatest elongation of Mercury and Venus, 2026-2028, Guyana time; London (51.51° N) for comparison; the orbits from 1 June to 31 October 2026.

Chapters

1. 0:00 The question
2. 0:04 Inside Earth’s orbit
3. 0:16 East and west of the Sun
4. 0:27 At dusk from Georgetown
5. 0:47 Why Guyana sees them well

From the lesson Solar System Overview.

What the video shows, in words

A silent 58-second explainer. It shows why Mercury and Venus stay close to the Sun (their orbits lie inside Earth’s), how their angle from the Sun swings east (evening) and west (morning), and how high each evening greatest elongation of 2026-2028 puts them over Georgetown, Guyana, at the end of civil twilight.

Greatest elongations from the Sun in 2026-2028: Mercury 18.1° to 27.8°, Venus 45.8° to 47°.

Evening greatest elongations, with the planet at the end of civil twilight that evening (Georgetown): Mercury 19 Feb 2026, 18.1° from the Sun, at 18:26 GYT 11° up in the W, magnitude -0.5; London at its own dusk 10° up; Mercury 15 Jun 2026, 24.5° from the Sun, at 18:31 GYT 18° up in the WNW, magnitude 0.4; London at its own dusk 7° up; Venus 15 Aug 2026, 45.9° from the Sun, at 18:29 GYT 33° up in the W, magnitude -4.5; London at its own dusk 5° up; Mercury 12 Oct 2026, 25.2° from the Sun, at 18:00 GYT 15° up in the WSW, magnitude -0.1; London at its own dusk below the horizon; Mercury 3 Feb 2027, 18.3° from the Sun, at 18:24 GYT 12° up in the WSW, magnitude -0.6; London at its own dusk 9° up; Mercury 28 May 2027, 22.9° from the Sun, at 18:27 GYT 17° up in the WNW, magnitude 0.5; London at its own dusk 9° up; Mercury 24 Sep 2027, 26.3° from the Sun, at 18:08 GYT 15° up in the WSW, magnitude 0.0; London at its own dusk below the horizon; Mercury 17 Jan 2028, 18.8° from the Sun, at 18:18 GYT 13° up in the WSW, magnitude -0.6; London at its own dusk 8° up; Venus 22 Mar 2028, 46.1° from the Sun, at 18:24 GYT 37° up in the WNW, magnitude -4.5; London at its own dusk 35° up; Mercury 9 May 2028, 21.4° from the Sun, at 18:23 GYT 15° up in the WNW, magnitude 0.4; London at its own dusk 11° up; Mercury 6 Sep 2028, 27.1° from the Sun, at 18:18 GYT 16° up in the W, magnitude 0.1; London at its own dusk below the horizon; Mercury 30 Dec 2028, 19.6° from the Sun, at 18:10 GYT 14° up in the WSW, magnitude -0.6; London at its own dusk 6° up.

Computed with astronomy-engine for Georgetown (6.80° N, 58.16° W); times are Guyana time (UTC-4).

1. 0:00 Venus and Mercury are only ever seen in twilight, after sunset or before sunrise. Why, and how high do they get from Guyana?
2. 0:04 Both orbit inside Earth’s orbit, so from Earth they never stray far from the Sun: in 2026-2028 Mercury reaches 18° to 28° from it, Venus 46° to 47°.
3. 0:16 East of the Sun they set after it and shine at dusk; west of it they rise before it and shine at dawn. Each peak is a greatest elongation.
4. 0:27 Facing west at the end of civil twilight on each evening greatest elongation: Mercury stands only 11° to 18° up, low in the glow over the set Sun.
5. 0:38 Venus climbs much higher: 33° up on 15 Aug 2026 and 37° up on 22 Mar 2028. Mercury needs a clear, low western horizon.
6. 0:47 Near the equator the evening ecliptic stands steep, so elongation turns into height: at dusk on Sat 15 Aug 2026 Venus is 33° up at Georgetown, but only 5° up at London’s dusk.
7. 0:54 Look west as twilight ends, in the weeks around an evening greatest elongation. The lesson lists the next ones.

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