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Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, making it a fascinating yet elusive planet to observe from Earth. Due to its proximity to the Sun, Mercury never strays far from it in our sky. This means it is typically only visible around sunrise or sunset. When it's close to the Sun, either just after it sets or just before it rises, it is usually obscured by the Sun's bright light.
Even when Mercury is at its furthest apparent distance from the Sun, known as "greatest elongation," it never appears higher than 28 degrees above the horizon. Therefore, during the middle of the night, when the Sun is on the opposite side of the Earth, Mercury would also be below the horizon.

• Closest planet to the Sun.
• Visible only during dawn and dusk.
• Max 28 degrees above horizon at greatest elongation.

Venus, often called Earth's "sister planet" due to its similar size and composition, is the second planet from the Sun. Like Mercury, it is also located inside Earth's orbit in the solar system. Venus is renowned for its brilliant shine, earning it the moniker of the "Evening Star" when it appears after sunset, and the "Morning Star" when visible before sunrise.
Venus's orbit means it is only ever seen close to the Sun, never straying more than 47 degrees away. At midnight, when the Sun is on the opposite side of the Earth, Venus, being close to the Sun, is also not visible in the sky.

• Considered Earth's sister planet.
• Known as the "Evening Star" or "Morning Star."
• Never more than 47 degrees away from the Sun.

The rotation of the Earth is a key factor in the visibility of celestial objects like Mercury and Venus. Earth rotates on its axis once approximately every 24 hours. This rotation causes the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets to appear to move across the sky. As the Earth spins, different parts of the planet are exposed to sunlight while others are cast into night.
Because of this rotation, the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and planets that appear close to the Sun, such as Mercury and Venus, will follow a similar path. At midnight, the Earth is oriented such that the Sun, along with these two planets, would be on the side not visible from the night sky in any given location on Earth's surface.

• Earth completes one rotation roughly every 24 hours.
• The Sun and planets appear to rise in the east and set in the west.
• At midnight, the Sun and planets close to it, like Mercury and Venus, are on the other side of Earth.