The term signifies that Mercury's orbit has carried the planet between the Sun and Earth. Although the planet could be directly in line with the other two bodies and appear in silhouette against the Sun's disk, Mercury usually skirts a little above or a little below the imaginary Earth-Sun line. Today Mercury passes several degrees below the Sun. Friday, July 7 The Moon has not quite reached First Quarter tonight. Use binoculars or a telescope to examine the shadow's edge, or terminator, for craters.
Sunlight hitting the craters there produces the longest shadows and exaggerates the rugged terrain.
The star Spica, in Virgo, shows 6 degrees below the Moon in the early evening. Virgo is the longest of the zodiacal constellations, spanning over 40 degrees of the zodiac. Sunday, July 9 The Moon travels around the sky through the zodiac constellations, making a circuit in just over 27 days. The Moon therefore moves about 13 degrees a night relative to the stars. Last night the Moon was above the star Spica.