Considered by astronomers as the fifth brightest object in the sky, the world is poised to get a closer glimpse of the planet nearest to sun as the Messenger spacecraft launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) six years ago is set to orbit near Mercury beginning on Thursday and explore it from a distance.

Starting its mission in 2005, the Messenger has been engineered by NASA scientists to capture photos of the elusive planet, only seen most brightly moments after sunset and before sunrise, and measure its composition, with the data programmed to be sent back to Earth.

Apart from the sun, moon, Venus and Jupiter, Mercury graces the sky with its brightness and can be appreciated by the naked eye though its apparition has been mostly dictated by timing and the planet's position.

Yet with the spacecraft dispatched from Earth, many would be able to take a closer look of Mercury's rocky surfaces as soon as NASA releases the images sent back by the Messenger following its orbit around the planet.

Many veteran skywatchers expressed excitement over the prospect of a closer Mercury view, even on pictures, as they admit that locating the planet on the vast sky is not an easy proposition owing to its natural position from the sun, which is not more than 27 degrees away from the center of the Solar System.

Searching for Mercury comes with the threat of permanent blindness, with the sun eternally on its background, and the safest way to zero in on the planet is during twilight periods and with the aid of binoculars.

Watchers can then peruse the western sky shortly after sunset and once Mercury has been spotted, the binoculars can be discarded and revert back to naked eyes in appreciating the shining beauty of the planet.

NASA said that regular skywatchers would be able to marvel at the sheer brightness of Mercury this coming two weeks when the planet is at its highest peak moments after sunset though the spectacle would be limited to viewers located in the Northern Hemisphere while observers in the Southern Hemisphere will get their by late July this year.

Every sunset for the next 14 days, Mercury will close in on Jupiter, with the tiny bright spot taking its position about two degrees at the top right side of the huge planet, seen by the naked eye as a spot twinkling much brighter than Mercury.

As the spectacle drags on for a number of days, Jupiter will slowly fade into the sunset while Mercury will appear at its brightest peak by March 22, which astronomers said is better appreciated from afar. A closer look of the planet will only reveal a seeming half-moon, with its surface mostly covered by bubbling and boiling elements.