Mercury and Venus in the West . ... Credit Copyright: Jimmy Westlake ( Colorado Mountain College ) Explanation: Doing their part in the ongoing dance of the planets , Mercury and Venus both reached their greatest elongation or maximum apparent distance from the Sun only a few days ago, on March 29th. Eager to record their celestial accomplishment, astronomer Jimmy Westlake snapped this view of the two inner most planets shinning in western twilight skies above Yampa, Colorado, USA. ...