Mercury, the smallest planet in the solar system, will reach its nearest point to the Sun on its orbit (perihelion) on Monday morning corresponding to 16th of Rabi Al-Awal 1442 AH at 5:53 a.m local time, Qatar Calendar House (QCH) has said.
During the phenomenon, Mercury will be 46 million km away from the Sun's center. It was at 70 million km from the Suns center on September 19, 2020, according to QCH.
Mercury reaches its aphelion point (farthest point from Sun) once in every 88 days, and the last such event was on August 6, 2020. It will reach the perihelion point again on January 29, 2021, said the expert astronomer at QCH, Dr. Beshir Marzouk.
Mercury moves on its orbit around Sun on an elliptical orbit, so its distance from Suns center varies. Mercurys distance from Suns center is 46 million kilometers at perihelion, while it will be 70 million kilometers at aphelion. The average distance between Mercury and Sun is approximately 58 million kilometers. So, Mercurys surface receives twice as much energy from Sun at the perihelion point, compared with the aphelion point.
Mercury will be present during this phenomenon above the eastern horizon of Qatar's sky. It will rise in the sky of the State of Qatar on Monday morning at 4:41 am local time. To observe Mercury, it is necessary to move away from places with light and environmental pollutants.
During perihelion, Mercury will be 46 million km from the Sun's center
