"Mercury shines brightest when it’s farthest from us."
The farthest away Mercury gets is when the Earth is on one side of the sun, and Mercury is on the opposite side. But at that point, Mercury will be invisible, with the sun in the way.
If we were looking from the Moon, Mercury would be brightest as it is just emerging from behind the sun. But on Earth, our atmosphere will diffuse the sun's light, and Mercury will be obscured in the glare. Mercury will have to get a little farther away from the sun before it is discernible.
So at what point is Mercury, not the brightest, but the most CONSPICUOUS for an observer on Earth?
"Mercury shines brightest when it’s farthest from us."
The farthest away Mercury gets is when the Earth is on one side of the sun, and Mercury is on the opposite side. But at that point, Mercury will be invisible, with the sun in the way.
If we were looking from the Moon, Mercury would be brightest as it is just emerging from behind the sun. But on Earth, our atmosphere will diffuse the sun's light, and Mercury will be obscured in the glare. Mercury will have to get a little farther away from the sun before it is discernible.
So at what point is Mercury, not the brightest, but the most CONSPICUOUS for an observer on Earth?