Pink Planet Rises In The Sky For Valentine’s Day

Oh, Mercury, you’re so romantic. Skywatchers and hopeless romantics will get a special treat at sunset this week as a pink planet will be visible in the sky for the next few days.

According to Space.com, Mercury will appear as a small pink dot low in the evening sky. The pink planet, which can be seen from now until February 21, will be visible about a half hour after sunset if the conditions are right. You’ll have to look quick because the rare sight will only last about a half hour every night.

NASA writes:

“NASA has recently discovered a very strange planet. Its days are twice as long as its years. It has a tail like a comet. It is hot enough to melt lead, yet capped by deposits of ice. And to top it all off … it appears to be pink. The planet is Mercury.”

Tonight’s pink planet will be relatively easy to spot in the sky. Mercury will appear directly below the crescent moon tonight.

NASA writes that Mercury will rise higher in the sky as the month goes on. The space organization advises skywatchers to “scan the horizon where the sun’s glow is strongest,” and, if you’re timing is right, you should see a “bright pink pinprick of light.”

Mercury, of course, is not actually a pink planet. But, because of the colorful setting sun, the planet often appears to have a bright pink color.