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傳說提倡「日心學說」的波蘭天文學家哥白尼（1473-1543）從未見過水星。不過在2009年初，你就有兩次觀看水星的機會。水星是最接近太陽的行星，當水星繞日運轉時，在地球有時可見這顆行星轉至太陽後面，間中又會橫越日面（如2006年11月的水星凌日）。不過有時水星會走到太陽東或西面，距離太陽較遠的位置，讓人們更容易從耀目的光芒中把它找出來，天文學家稱這樣的位置排列為「大距」。上圖顯示1月2至8日，日末後（下午6時）及2月4至10日，日出前（上午7時前）水星的方位。在日沒後或日出前的一刻，這顆小行星距離水平17度或以上，如果使用雙筒望遠鏡掃描，就更易看到水星。話說回來，去年11月，考古學家發現了哥白尼的遺體並成功重塑出他生前的樣貌(見圖)。
A time to see Mercury
Nicolaus Copernicus (Polish astronomer, 1473–1543) was the advocator of the heliocentric universe. Legend says he never saw Mercury. However you stand two good chances of finding it at the beginning of 2009. Mercury revolves round the sun nearer than the Earth. From Earth we sometimes see it hiding behind the sun and sometimes in front of it just as in November 2006. Sometimes Mercury is either east or west of the sun. That is the time when the planet emerges from the sun's glare for comfortable viewing. At 6 p.m. from January 2nd to 8th sweep the low western sky with a pair of binoculars and you should be able to see Mercury. Then from 4th to 10th of February look east before 7 a.m. and you will again spot Mercury. ■甄枝強 資深天文愛好者
Credit: (Copernicus image) The Kronenberg Foundation
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