WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3 The month gets under way with an attractive dawn scene that includes the waning crescent Moon, Mercury, and Spica. The trio is arranged in a tidy triangle low in the east-southeast, with the Moon above Mercury and Spica off to the right. The Moon will be easy to spot and, at magnitude -0.8, so will Mercury. But you might need to dig out your binoculars to catch Spica in brightening twilight. Binoculars will also help you appreciate earthshine on the razor-thin Moon's “dark" side. As for Mercury, it's finishing off its most favorable morning apparition of the year, which peaked as last month drew to a close. Although the swift little planet brightens slightly as it continues its plunge sunward, Mercury will become progressively more difficult to see with each passing day as it nears its meeting with the Sun on November 28th. By late next week, Mercury will be a tough naked-eye find. Don't fret if you miss out though —another chance to catch it will come along in December at dusk.
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