Mercury reaches peak visibility on June 15 before fading into solar glare

Twice a year, Mercury briefly escapes the sun's overwhelming glare and becomes visible to those patient enough to seek it. On June 15, 2026, the innermost planet reaches its greatest elongation — the farthest angular distance from the sun as seen from Earth — offering stargazers their best naked-eye opportunity of the year. Observatories and museums across the region are opening their doors and their telescopes to help the public witness this fleeting alignment before Mercury retreats once more into the light it has never truly left.