Who has seen the elusive planet Mercury ? [Archive] - Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum

Manchurian Taikonaut

04-March-2005, 09:52 AM

Now might be the time to view the planet after the sun sets with your telescope or binoculars. There is some information on thespacesite.com and the washingtonpost.com about it, the elusive planet Mercury can be seen in the west but be careful of the Sun.

it will be at the greatest eastern elongation on the 12th of March

Who has seen this Planet ? :)

I look forward to seeing the planet up-close from NASA's Messenger craft, I think Europe ESA and Japan might also be thinking of going there

the_shaggy_one

04-March-2005, 10:17 AM

I've seen it! Never with a telescope, mostly because I don't own one. I should fix that.

Wolverine

04-March-2005, 11:41 AM

It's covered in this week's Sky at a Glance (http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/article_110_1.asp), but I see nothing but clouds and rain in my future. Again. :(

Glom

04-March-2005, 01:56 PM

I haven't seen it with an aid, but I have seen it a few times naked eye. One time on a flight back from America (possibly from Miami), there was a great dawn as we arrived in London airspace and I had a good view of Venus and Mercury fading against the sunrise. That was cool. It would be nice to have a similar thing this Easter when returning from Houston 777 style.

Hamlet

04-March-2005, 02:26 PM

I've seen it a couple of times. It can be difficult to find in the twilight glare, but it's worth the effort just because it's so elusive. :D

ToSeek

04-March-2005, 02:50 PM

I saw it for the first time just a year or so ago. (I have to make a special effort where we are to find a good view of the western horizon.)

A Thousand Pardons

04-March-2005, 03:31 PM

I've seen Mercury many times. If you know when to look, it's easy. It's not elusive at all. I've seen it from a crowded, light-polluted parking lot, with hazy skies.

Make sure to look for it on the 11th, next to the new crescent moon, about three or four degrees away.

cyswxman

04-March-2005, 03:52 PM

I've seen it, both with binocs and naked eye (I don't have a 'scope :cry: ).

Ilya

04-March-2005, 04:49 PM

Last year I saw it for the first time. Actually, I probably had seen it before, but did not know what I was looking at.

tlbs101

04-March-2005, 05:12 PM

Along with several other posters, here, I also saw it for the first time (knowingly) last year with the naked eye, and binoculars.

I made it a point to show other friends, also, telling them that only about 1% of the people on the Earth have seen Mercury.

Romanus

04-March-2005, 06:07 PM

I've seen Mercury only twice. The first time it was barely glimpsed very low on the horizon, through considerable haze. The second time, I had the benefit of binoculars, without which it would have been impossible to see. This bad boy is quite a challange for the five bright planets, IMO; most amateur astronomers who are serious about observing this planet take it on in the daytime, when it's well above the horizon.

A Thousand Pardons

04-March-2005, 07:31 PM

I made it a point to show other friends, also, telling them that only about 1% of the people on the Earth have seen Mercury.
That's not quite true. Most people have seen it, they just didn't know it. :)
I've seen Mercury only twice. The first time it was barely glimpsed very low on the horizon, through considerable haze. The second time, I had the benefit of binoculars, without which it would have been impossible to see. This bad boy is quite a challange for the five bright planets, IMO; most amateur astronomers who are serious about observing this planet take it on in the daytime, when it's well above the horizon.
No way. At certain times of the year--when it is not obscured by the sun--it is very easy to see after dark. Over the next week, Mercury sets over an hour after the sun sets. Tonight, from my home, it will be over 9 degrees above the horizon even after the end of civil twilight, and it will be magnitude minus one. I wouldn't be able to miss it--if I were looking directly west.

Eroica

05-March-2005, 11:08 AM

I've seen Mercury many times. If you know when to look, it's easy. It's not elusive at all.
I agree. When I first saw it, I was surprised how high above the horizon it was. Nine degrees is quite a large angle, and it's often higher than that.

The Bad Astronomer

05-March-2005, 05:54 PM

Remember the Looming Moon Effect-- things look bigger on the horizon. So 9 degrees is substantial.

Mercury is a fine object through a telescope. Just don't expect to see detail! The crescent can be quite lovely, and the shimmering effects from atmospheric turbulence are pretty too.

And yeah, I've seen Mercury many times. The only planet I haven't seen with my own eyes is Pluto (Uranus and Neptune I saw when I was in high school with my old 10" Newtonian). We observed Pluto with out school telescope last year, but we used a CCD (a digital camera).

crosscountry

05-March-2005, 06:10 PM

I've seen it on occasion. I always make it a point to look for it when viewing is favorable. probably 3-4 times. (orbits I mean). I've seen it probably 15 times, but 5 nights in a row hardly counts.

through a telescope there is not much to see. it is low on the horizon so lots of refraction. I usually get lots of colors. maybe that's my eyepiece. It's actually so small that the crescent is hard to focus, but it is noticeable.

good luck finding it!!! it's definitly inspiring.

umop ap!sdn

05-March-2005, 06:14 PM

Sometime last year or the year before I saw Mercury after sunset. My parents and I had gone out to look for it, and it was more obvious to me than to them because of differences in visual acuity. Also saw it through binoculars. May have seen it before (knowingly) I'm not sure.

Also seen Uranus through my 8" Dob, well enough IIRC to see a little bit of coloration.

Padawan

05-March-2005, 08:42 PM

I've seen it, but only once. :)

Kaptain K

06-March-2005, 06:32 AM

I've seen it (unaided) several times. The last time was a dawn apparition. I was able to track it until the sky was quite bright.

... I see nothing but clouds and rain in my future. Again. :(
Ain't it the truth! I've seen the stars maybe 4 or 5 times since mid-November!

FWIW - I have seen Uranus without optical aid (after I found it with binoculars) and Neptune through 7x50 binoculars!

um3k

06-March-2005, 04:03 PM

Saw it yesterday! :D

The Bad Astronomer

06-March-2005, 10:25 PM

Yeah, it was pretty obvious last night (now that the rain has finally cleared here for a while). I'm looking forward to seeing it again tonight, and showing some other folks too.

Wolverine

06-March-2005, 11:32 PM

Ain't it the truth! I've seen the stars maybe 4 or 5 times since mid-November!

Whoa, wait a minute... what's this block of blue stuff creeping into my signature? Think we'll actually get a window for a change?

frogesque

07-March-2005, 12:24 AM

I took a trip to my favourite beach this afternoon at Elie in Fife and had a good clear view of Mercury from first starlight 'till it almost touched the horizon. Must have stood watching it for the best part of an hour. Later on I also caught Iridium 81 at mag -5 (http://www.heavens-above.com/flaredetails.asp?SatID=25468&lat=56.2&lng=-2.6&alt=0&loc=Unspecified&TZ=CET&Date=38417.831884 6374&Mirror=1). Nice end to a beautiful sunny day.

John Kierein

07-March-2005, 02:56 AM

You shouldn't be taught about Mercury. Mercury is being removed from schools.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=1&u=/ap/20050306/ap_on_re_us/schools_mercury

The Bad Astronomer

07-March-2005, 05:01 AM

It's only being removed from the labs. They'll probably keep it in the textbooks... with a disclaimer.

I saw Mercury again tonight, this time while the sky was still pretty light. My 15x70 binocs helped. 8)

Charlie in Dayton

07-March-2005, 07:30 AM

IF the sky stays clear and IF Norm shows up to give me a bit of a break, Mercury should be an easy catch from the west-facing eighth floor lounge here at SBA Central on the campus of The Major Midwestern Metropolitan College Of Higher Knowledge...that 10x25 monocular I keep in my ready bag oughtta be just right.

And for those who have a clear horizon (inportant part) and want to know how high off the horizon Mercury will be, 9 degrees is just a shade under a fist width at arm's length.

****************************
Handy tips for measuring angles in the sky

One full moon = ½ degree. Two full moons side-by-side = 1 degree.

Generally speaking, if we hold our little finger out at arm's length, the distance it blocks out is approximately one degree.

When we hold the thumb up at arm's length from the eye, the distance covered is approximately two degrees.

If we use the first three fingers (index and the next two – Boy Sprout salute-style), the distance covered is approximately five degrees.

If we hold our closed fist at arm's length from our eye, the distance covered is about 10 degrees across the knuckles (about 2.5 degrees from knuckle to knuckle).

The distance between the index finger and the little finger when they are spread wide at arm's length is about fifteen degrees.

The distance between the thumb and the little finger spread wide at arm's length from our eye is about 20 degrees (as is two closed fists side-by-side across the knuckles).

These measurements stay constant, as a human's arm will grow in length in proportion to the growth in length/width of hands and digits.

********************************
See here (http://www.austinastro.org/angles.html) for a quick graphic primer on this and other measurement techniques.

AstroSmurf

07-March-2005, 09:23 AM

I saw it during this weekend's star party. Very nice and clear evening, so it was over the horizon long enough to become naked-eye visible. Showed a discernible disc in a 4" refractor - surprisingly, this instrument gave the best view of those I tested.

badchap

07-March-2005, 11:11 AM

I saw Mercury a few weeks ago (January) in the early hours of the morning, on my way home from work..it was around 5 am-ish..it was sitting close to Venus. Looked pretty.
I had thought it might have been Mercury, and checked my trusty astronomy yearbook when I got home, to verify my guess was correct :)

cyswxman

07-March-2005, 11:40 AM

I've seen it the last couple of nights here. Seems brighter than usual.

Bad Dr Galaxy

07-March-2005, 05:23 PM

Ironically, the only time I know I spotted it was years ago at Kitt Peak. After a long night, I was walking down to the cafeteria just as dawn was breaking. I was facing east with a clear sky and a deep, unobscured horizon. And there it was. It was too bright and close to be anything else, and anyway, I checked in the Nautical Almanac later :) Now that it has stopped pouring rain here, I'll check it out tonight.

frogesque

07-March-2005, 09:18 PM

Ok, here's the pics taken this evening.

Be warned though, they are big files 1.0 - 1.3MB each :lol:

#12 (http://frogesque.com/images/mercury/mercury12.jpg)

#24 (http://frogesque.com/images/mercury/mercury24.jpg)

#33 (http://frogesque.com/images/mercury/mercury33.jpg)

Canon D60 digital, ASA400, f1.4, exposures varied from 0.3 sec to 1.0 sec.

Edit: User friendly detail of #33

http://frogesque.com/images/mercury/mercury33det.jpg

crosscountry

09-March-2005, 03:20 AM

I saw it tonight. it was about 6:50 PM in St Louis.

Maybe I'll take my camera with me tomorrow.

Celestial Mechanic

09-March-2005, 04:37 AM

Saw it at 6:20pm CST in Milwaukee. I'll look for it tomorrow, which will probably be the last good chance as the weather is expected to turn bad for the weekend. :cry:

Evan

09-March-2005, 07:09 AM

The BA said:
It's only being removed from the labs. They'll probably keep it in the textbooks... with a disclaimer.

I still have a five pound flask of it (Hg). Stored next to my beta-low gamma sources. Good shielding plus it is 50 meters from the house.

Sam5

11-March-2005, 02:13 AM

Saw it at 6:20pm CST in Milwaukee. I'll look for it tomorrow, which will probably be the last good chance as the weather is expected to turn bad for the weekend. :cry:

Hey, I just saw it around 7 pm mountain time. It's the only "star" up there in that position, so seeing it after sunset should be easy. I waited until it was almost dark, but the western horizon was still a little bright and rosy.

Anyone wanting to see it, go to:

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/article_110_1.asp

The moon is not in that position yet, but it should be tomorrow.

The Bad Astronomer

11-March-2005, 03:20 AM

I just got a good look at it... and some great pix! I have a new camera, and it has a self-timer and a shutter that opens for up to 30 seconds, so that's nice. No tripod, but the top of the van does well. :)

Here is a thumbnail of the shot. Click it to get a bigger picture: http://www.badastronomy.com/pix/mercury_march112005_1athumb.jpg
(http://www.badastronomy.com/pix/mercury_march112005_1a.jpg)

The full-res image rocks, but it's 2.5 Mb, so I won't be posting it here. Got a nice shot of Orion, too... well, his top half. I need to get a tripod! But this is fun. Hmmm... I need two tripods, so I can do some afocal shots through my binocs. 8)

Sam5

11-March-2005, 03:48 AM

I just got a good look at it... and some great pix! I have a new camera, and it has a self-timer and a shutter that opens for up to 30 seconds, so that's nice. No tripod, but the top of the van does well. :)

I brightened your picture up a little. Hope you don't mind.

LINK (http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5dd31b3127cce90f9f7754fd400000016108AcM2jFk4cM1 )

R.A.F.

11-March-2005, 04:08 AM

I have a new camera...

OK...I'm curious. :) What model camera did you get??

The Bad Astronomer

11-March-2005, 04:37 AM

I like it better darker, actually. The colors are richer. :-)

The camera is a Sony Cybershot with 5 Mpix. I didn't want so many pixels (4 is fine by me) but the 4 Mpix cameras don't have the features I want. I researched the heck outta this. Anyway, it was more than I wanted to spend, but I was given a camera for Christmas that broke within a few days (at TAMIII, grrr) so I traded it in. I think it's a fantastic camera. My favorite feature: when you hit the on button, it turns on immediately. My old camera waited at least two seconds to turn on, and I missed a lot of shots (like bats in Australia, grrrr again).

I took some shots a few minutes ago of Orion and Saturn, but they aren't as nice. Oh well.

Eroica

11-March-2005, 10:30 AM

This evening the new Moon will be just three and a half degrees from Mercury. Should make a nice photo!

frogesque

11-March-2005, 05:56 PM

This evening the new Moon will be just three and a half degrees from Mercury. Should make a nice photo!

It will do if the cloud breaks enough to get a decent view. Looks a bit iffy just now and sunset is due in 13 mins.

R.A.F.

11-March-2005, 06:23 PM

...it has a self-timer and a shutter that opens for up to 30 seconds...

...when you hit the on button, it turns on immediately.

Sounds like a sweet camera!

This evening the new Moon will be just three and a half degrees from Mercury. Should make a nice photo!

I'll be taking a look tonight...we do have a number of very tall trees just west of us that may block the view.

frogesque

11-March-2005, 08:04 PM

Well, this could have been so much better but between dodging snow flurries, a howling wind, (and, if you look at the full view, those clouds hurtling in from the North), it was the best I managed. Had no time to faff about and the focus is a bit off :( Pity because the earthshine on the moon was very distinct and while I had the chance it was a lovely view. Never mind - I'm sure you can all do better!

http://frogesque.com/images/mercury/moonmercurydet.jpg

full view (1Mb) (http://frogesque.com/images/mercury/moonmercury.jpg)

eburacum45

11-March-2005, 08:12 PM

Lovely clear skies here;
saw the fast little planet while out walking the dog.

Wolverine

11-March-2005, 08:17 PM

Never mind - I'm sure you can all do better!

Not with my decrepit camera but I'll give it a shot anyway. :)

R.A.F.

11-March-2005, 08:23 PM

frogesque

11-March-2005, 09:39 PM

Had no time to faff about...

Hey! I think I just learned a new word! :wink:

I'm sure you can all do better!

Actually, it's not that bad at all. Is it my imagination or can I see the cresent of Mercury in your picture??

Going by the clearer pics I took the other night it's an image artefact. I had hoped to get the telephoto on but by the time I'd changed lenses that cloud was total.

Concise Oxford Dictionary - Eighth edition, reprinted 1990, IBSN 0-19-861243-5 thumb index.
faff v. & n. Brit colloq. - v.intr (often foll. by around, about) fuss, dither. - n. a fuss. [imit.] :wink:

Wolverine

12-March-2005, 02:41 AM

This is the best I could muster from tonight's photo-op. Shame, cause the conditions were quite good.

http://home.austin.rr.com/victorsvaliant/sunset/argh.jpg

A new camera unburdened by nyctophobia has moved to position #1 on my stuff-to-get list. ](*,)

Sam5

12-March-2005, 02:43 AM

This is the best I could muster from tonight's photo-op. Shame, cause the conditions were quite good.

That's a very good picture.

Wolverine

12-March-2005, 02:46 AM

Heh, you should have seen it before subtracting a darkframe. :o

Archer17

12-March-2005, 02:49 AM

Don't beat yourself Wolverine, not a bad pic. I blew my chance the other night, it was relatively clear here in the 'Burgh (always a rarity) and I was too busy. Been snowy ever since.. :evil:

I did see Mercury before, but it is a "catch" .. especially where I is .. :-?

Sam5

12-March-2005, 02:54 AM

Heh, you should have seen it before subtracting a darkframe. :o

Maybe next time you can use your flash so you can have the whole moon lit up. :D

Wolverine

12-March-2005, 03:10 AM

Don't beat yourself Wolverine, not a bad pic.

I appreciate it, just sick of potentially fantastic moments slipping through my fingers due to inadequate equipment. Anyone want to buy a guitar or three so I can go get a Rebel? 8-[

The Bad Astronomer

12-March-2005, 03:25 AM

Hmmm, Wolv's look a lot like mine...

http://www.badastronomy.com/pix/moon_mercury_march11_2005_b.jpg

http://www.badastronomy.com/pix/moon_mercury_march11_2005_a.jpg

Don't they make a nice couple? The second picture was taken a few minutes after the first, with a longer exposure time (but a smaller aperture). Note that Mercury is blurred due to the Earth's rotation, but I wanted a good earthshine image of the Moon.

Musashi

12-March-2005, 03:33 AM

R.A.F.

12-March-2005, 03:33 AM

Well, here's my "attempt"...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/raflaf/a2419.jpg

...darn TREES!! :lol:

The Bad Astronomer

12-March-2005, 04:28 AM

R.A.F., think of trees as ways of artistically enhancing the picture. Without them, there wouldn't be a sense of scale. Separating the Moon and Mercury that way is prettier!

Wolverine

12-March-2005, 04:50 AM

Or use the sure-fire tree removal method. ;)

http://home.austin.rr.com/victorsvaliant/sunset/sliver.jpg

frogesque

12-March-2005, 09:21 AM

mickal555

12-March-2005, 09:31 AM

I've seen mercury naked eye and with an aid (11" Smit-cass). And through my 8". Colourful blob. :D

Eroica

12-March-2005, 12:49 PM

I was beginning to think the clouds would spoil this entire apparition, but they cleared away last night to give me a lovely glimpse of Mercury next to the merest sliver of New Moon. Beautiful!

R.A.F.

12-March-2005, 03:18 PM

R.A.F., think of trees as ways of artistically enhancing the picture. Without them, there wouldn't be a sense of scale. Separating the Moon and Mercury that way is prettier!

I am SO glad you said that. I had considered saying that exact same thing, but thought it would sound too self-serving. But since you said it, I can comfortably say that I agree with your reasoning. :)

That picture was 2nd to last of about 15 pictures, and it was only in the last 2 that I actually saw Mercury at all.

aside...this is my 3000th post!! Not that I'm keeping count or I would have started a BABBling thread about it. :)

Marjorie

12-March-2005, 06:09 PM

I see it occasionally in the Eastern sky in the morning, but I've never seen it in the evening. I have a fabulous view of the Eastern sky from my highrise balcony.

Evan

13-March-2005, 05:30 AM

Two hours ago with Canon Rebel:

http://vts.bc.ca/pics/hg1.jpg

The Bad Astronomer

13-March-2005, 07:23 AM

Nice. What a beautiful thread this has turned into!

frogesque

13-March-2005, 12:01 PM

Glom

13-March-2005, 09:22 PM

Those are all great photos of earthshine. I saw the moon during dusk the other night and it did look great with clear earthshine while the sky was still quite bright.

A Thousand Pardons

14-March-2005, 09:19 AM

Another photo op later in the year (http://astronomyonline.org/UpComing.asp#Interesting_Conjunctions)

June 25, 2005: Mercury, Venus and Saturn within 1.5°

If I've done my homework right it's an evening event. 4 days past midsummer so it might be difficult for us Northerners to get a decent view in a dark sky, should be a nice call for our upsidedown neighbours though.
I mentioned this one (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=324798&highlight=mercury+saturn&#3 24798) a while ago. It's something to put on the calendar, if you tend to forget to look up. :)

The 25th is a great grouping, but on the 27th, Mercury and Venus will be about 8 arcminutes apart. The week leading up to then will be interesting too, since Mercury will be much brighter, and the three planets more or less colinear.

frogesque

14-March-2005, 11:12 AM

A Thousand Pardons wrote:
I mentioned this one a while ago. It's something to put on the calendar, if you tend to forget to look up.

The 25th is a great grouping, but on the 27th, Mercury and Venus will be about 8 arcminutes apart. The week leading up to then will be interesting too, since Mercury will be much brighter, and the three planets more or less colinear.

Does being ToSeeked 9 months before the event count? :lol: (I was sure I was safe with that one #-o )

frogesque

14-March-2005, 01:45 PM

I took these two shots within a minute of eachother through the telephoto last night but couldn't resolve phase - not sure why Mercury is green but I only point and click. (It was quite low down and there were a lot of atmospherics - freezing cold wind!)

1/60 sec exposure, 400mm tele + x3 diopter eq. f19, enhanced brightness +18, contrast +26, heavily cropped, local time 19.38. Hand held, definitely need tripod for longer exposures.

http://frogesque.com/images/merc1.jpg http://frogesque.com/images/merc2.jpg

Also took this one of the Moon (http://frogesque.com/images/moon1.jpg) - same set up. - 0.3MB file and it messes up the page so I've linked

Edit: US Naval Observatory - Apparent Disc of Solar System Object. (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/diskmap.html) Usefull little linky, plumb in object, date, and time and it gives a greyscale image. Mercury is about 1/2 phase just now. Hopefully they will be able to extend the program to include Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Evan

14-March-2005, 04:09 PM

Amazingly, the image I took above actually shows the phase. When I get home tonight I will post a closeup. Sorry about the image being broken yesterday, my ADSL was down.

Wolverine

14-March-2005, 06:04 PM

Of those posted on Spaceweather, I rather liked this (http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2005/14mar05/oleary.jpg) and this (http://www.spaceweather.com/swpod2005/14mar05/Carr.jpg).

mike alexander

15-March-2005, 12:43 AM

Friday night was new moon and Mercury, absolutely lovely.

With the anomalous clear weather we've been having here in W. Oregon, the last few nights have been exceptionally good for mid-March. I've noticed I sometimes get a short chunk of calm seeing just after sunset for about an hour before the breeze picks up again. Saturday night Saturn just POPPED into clarity for about 15 minutes: Cassini's division looked like it was inked in, and I got to show my son a really nice view, with Titan off to the side.

But the topper was actually last night. After watching Saturn for a while I swung over to Jupiter to watch it with my kid as it rose over the hill. I hadn't checked the position of the moons before hand, and with the position of the ecliptic now it slowly came up behind the trees, a dead vertical line of the moons and the planet, with the moons almost perfectly arranged symmetrically, two on each side. Man, it was like watching 2001, and I half-expected to see a monolith.

HypersonicMan

16-March-2005, 12:01 AM

If I turn my head to the right I can see Mercury out my window. It's one advantage to living on the 7th floor of a highrise apartment with giant panoramic windows facing south-west :D The gorgeous clear sky helps, too. I wish I had a scope, but with the light pollution here and a limited budget I decided to wait a bit.

Sam5

16-March-2005, 01:45 AM

SP-423 Atlas of Mercury

http://history.nasa.gov/SP-423/contents.htm

Bad Dr Galaxy

17-March-2005, 09:19 PM

I'm so bummed. I live just about due east of LA. So when I look west
at sunset, what do you think I see? And we've been having low-level
marine layer gunk for the past week or so (except when it's been
raining :cry: ). So far, work and other activities have precluded driving
out to somewhere with a decent western horizon.

The Bad Astronomer

17-March-2005, 09:38 PM

It may be too late; by 6:45 it's only about 10 degrees above the horizon. It's dropping fast.

Bad Dr Galaxy

17-March-2005, 09:54 PM

It may be too late; by 6:45 it's only about 10 degrees above the horizon. It's dropping fast.

Yeah, well, it's not like Halley, I'll have more chances. Like in 20 years when
I retire and move to New Mexico. :wink:

frogesque

17-March-2005, 09:55 PM

It may be too late; by 6:45 it's only about 10 degrees above the horizon. It's dropping fast.

Too late for me - it's 9:54pm. here - and it's tipping with rain :lol:

Edit: LASCO/C3 will pick it up on the 25th March though

ChibiVader

18-March-2005, 11:20 PM

I caught Mercury a week ago tonight during a Messier Marathon my astronomy club held. I've seen it a few times before during early morning or dusk, but this was the furthest I've ever seen it out of the murky light of the sky and I was amazed at how bright it was. If I would have had the telescope up yet, I would have taken a picture, but alas, no luck.

Manchurian Taikonaut

19-March-2005, 08:40 AM

I was amazed at how bright it was. If I would have had the telescope up yet, I would have taken a picture, but alas, no luck.

It seems this planet will make a comeback in July and a far eastern elongation in November 2005. But I think it will be very difficult to see from NY city or London because the planet will perhaps be more suitable for people in Brazil or Australia

A Thousand Pardons

19-March-2005, 09:53 AM

Eroica

19-March-2005, 12:26 PM

frogesque

19-March-2005, 12:40 PM

I was amazed at how bright it was.
I saw it again last night, very low down, and I was surprised by how bright it appeared. it seemed brighter than last week, but it's actually getting fainter. Maybe I was just seeing it against a darker background.

Well it's obvious, it's bigger when it's near the horizon (http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/moonbig.html) :^o

ChibiVader

19-March-2005, 08:28 PM

Mercury and Saturn in the morning, in mid-September, will be nice too, but you'll have to get up early. :)
I'm not much of a morning riser.

A Thousand Pardons

19-March-2005, 09:00 PM

Mercury and Saturn in the morning, in mid-September, will be nice too, but you'll have to get up early. :)
I'm not much of a morning riser.
Actually, that was me, not Manchurian Taikonaut. Sorry to disturb your beauty sleep. :)

ChibiVader

20-March-2005, 11:56 PM

Actually, that was me, not Manchurian Taikonaut. Sorry to disturb your beauty sleep. :) Sorry. Was trying to cut down on what got quoted and cut the wrong part.

Iris

21-March-2005, 01:55 AM

I've seen it march 13th! A fine sight. It was well aligned between two trees of the woods behind my house! I was so proud I could see it for the first time in my life, I quickly ran inside told everyone that if they wanted to see a real tricky planet to catch, it was now or maybe never in their case. Only my mother came to see. :( She was impressed, especially when I told her how hard it is to catch, thanks to the Sun. Too bad for the others!

Eroica

21-March-2005, 08:06 AM

I've seen it march 13th! A fine sight. It was well aligned between two trees of the woods behind my house! I was so proud I could see it for the first time in my life ...
=D> Congratulations, and welcome to the board, Iris!

Iris

21-March-2005, 02:04 PM

Eroica

21-March-2005, 03:03 PM

Thank you! ...but I'm here since a good time. :P I'm just no big poster.
Oops! Make that, "Welcome back!" :D

Christopher Ferro

22-April-2005, 05:36 PM

Amazingly, the image I took above actually shows the phase. When I get home tonight I will post a closeup. Sorry about the image being broken yesterday, my ADSL was down.

Did you post it on BABB or your own web-site. Sorry to drag this up after a month.

CJSF

Evan

22-April-2005, 06:06 PM

Oh oh. I forgot to post it. I try to remember.

Charlie in Dayton

23-April-2005, 07:18 AM

Check the sky starting just after sunset the week of June 19th -- the culmination will be the evening of June 25 about half an hour after sundown. Saturn, Venus, and Mercury will be within 2 degrees of each other, about 1/4 the way on a direct line between Kappa Geminorum and M44. This oughtta be a real opportunity to take some pictures...hope it's clear that night...or at least one night that week...

A Thousand Pardons

23-April-2005, 07:41 AM

frogesque mentioned it earlier in the thread (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=433481&#433481), last page. That's going to be so good, you'll probably see it in your local paper.

They'll set before the end of astronomical twilight though. Last month (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=427960&#427960), around Mar. 12, Mercury was setting even after that. The ecliptic had a higher inclination to the horizon.

Antilles

23-April-2005, 11:49 AM

Saturn, Venus, and Mercury will be within 2 degrees of each other, about 1/4 the way on a direct line between Kappa Geminorum and M44.

That should be a very cool sight. :)

jt-3d

22-June-2005, 03:39 AM

Seen it, bought the postcards. Ok, now I can definately say I have seen Mercury. There were doubts before but there's no debating it now. I saw Mercury, Venus and Saturn is right there too, so that makes the lower light Mercury. Complete. Too bad the kids have lost my binoculars....

I should dig out the digicam for tomorrow. I need the rain.

frogesque

23-June-2005, 01:42 AM

Tonight's best of:

Late sunset

http://www.frogesque.com/mmv/sunset.jpg

Mercury, (left of centre) just crept though the haze for this shot.

http://www.frogesque.com/mmv/mercury2.jpg

Venus (OK it's a white dot but it is Venus)

http://www.frogesque.com/mmv/venus.jpg

A somewhat squashed full moon rising over the sea mist on the Forth Estury

http://www.frogesque.com/mmv/moonrise.jpg

Edit: deleted one pic.

A Thousand Pardons

25-June-2005, 03:17 AM

Bad forecast (see sig) but the haze was thin enough to penetrate with binoculars. Saturn (just over 0) two degrees to the left of Venus (neg. 4), Mercury (just under 0) a little down and to the right a degree. They'll all be a little closer tomorrow. Same time Monday night, Mercury and Venus will be less than 7 arcmin. apart.

Tensor

25-June-2005, 06:11 AM

mickal555

25-June-2005, 08:13 AM

It's getting dark now- but it's still to cloudy... maybe it will clear up who knows...

Trebuchet

26-June-2005, 05:28 AM

I managed to see the heavenly trio last night through a convenient gap in the clouds. I didn't see them well because of the very high humidity, but I saw them.
I was surprised that Mercury appeared brighter than Saturn. I expect that's because Saturn must be about as far as it ever gets from us, right? Anyway, that was only the second time I've (knowingly) seen Mercury so it was a bit of a thrill for a novice stargazer.
I've got the telescope out on the deck tonight but the clouds are looking iffy.

Edited to add: Saw Mercury and Venus, but not Saturn. Jupiter was looking nice though.

A Thousand Pardons

26-June-2005, 05:50 AM

I was surprised that Mercury appeared brighter than Saturn. I expect that's because Saturn must be about as far as it ever gets from us, right?
I don't think Saturn gets much brighter--maybe a half magnitude is all, about as bright as Mercury is now. Mercury can get more than a full magnitude brighter than it is right now--in fact, it was, just two weeks ago.

frogesque

26-June-2005, 10:55 AM

The real problem with Mercury is its low elevation and proximity to the sun, not its magnitude. You need an unobstructed view of the horizon and cloud conditions to cooperate. I was clouded out last night but hopefully will get a glimpse tonight for the conjunction.

mickal555

27-June-2005, 01:15 AM

I saw 'em saturday night it was a kina L shape low on the horizen.

Mercury is quite bright but it can never be seen when it's truly dark.

tracer

27-June-2005, 04:58 AM

It's really easy to see Mercury tonight.

It's, like, less than half a degree away from Venus.

A Thousand Pardons

27-June-2005, 06:25 AM

Mercury is quite bright but it can never be seen when it's truly dark.
It can easily be visible after the end of astronomical twilight.

Of course, it never gets very high in the sky :)

jt-3d

27-June-2005, 08:19 AM

Well I got one son and the wife out to look. The wife didn't care much (as usual) and it's hard to read my 15yr old but at least they can both know they have seen Mercury. Unfortunately the little one was MIA so I still have to get him out there.

Unfortunately, both the boys were out there last time when I confused a far off street light for Mercury and only figured after I noticed that it didn't move. :oops: :oops:

TriangleMan

27-June-2005, 12:09 PM

Saturday night I was at a restaurant patio with some friends and one of the ladies at my table suddenly pointed to Venus and wondered why that star was so bright. I told her that was Venus, mentioned the conjunction, pointed out Mercury and Saturn, and she was amazed. No one else at the table realized that Venus could get so bright.

TriangleMan, educating the public one table at a time. :)

Melusine

27-June-2005, 12:29 PM

My wife and I were out shopping tonight and when we came out (just before 9PM EDT) it was very prominent. I was explaining which was which to her, when someone walked by and overheard me. He started asking questions and I pointed them out to him. Someone else came be and got involved. Then a couple more. I ended up with six groups of couples and families. looking at the conjunction from a mall parking lot.
Weird. Should have had my telescope with me.
Isn't it funny how people get interested when they see you doing something like that in a common place? We were at the top of a parking garage, and the security guard of the building was all curious, and looked through the binoculars, and helped set up the tripod, etc. He had never looked at Venus knowing it was Venus, or Mizar and Alcor, etc. This happens in my apartment complex, too; people want to know what you're up to (I started this odd trend in a cotton field, too, once).

Doesn't it make you feel good to know you interested someone, and told them something they didn't know? Plenty of surveys have found that much of the public is science-"illiterate," and in your small part you have helped that, or anyone that exposes something new to someone. I like it when people don't flaunt their knowledge, but rather share it, though it's not always easy to tell the difference (coming from a pedantic word person, I know, but I don't really mean to be that way).

I just know that the security guard has now seen something he's never seen before, as well. Cheers to you and Triangle Man! :D

JessM

27-June-2005, 03:49 PM

Well, that was a nice evening of planetgazing... not only did I get my first look at Mercury and Venus through a telescope, but I also happened to be out at exactly the right time to see what later turned out to be the International Space Station. ^_^ (unfortunately when I saw the ISS I didn't have my binoculars or telescope out... I'd just gone out to see if I'd have a good view of the planets!)

Tensor

27-June-2005, 03:53 PM

I just know that the security guard has now seen something he's never seen before, as well. Cheers to you and Triangle Man! :D

And cheers to you for sharing also. :)

ToSeek

27-June-2005, 03:59 PM

I tried to see the conjunction Saturday night around 9 pm. At the time it was only dark enough to see Venus. By the time it was dark enough to see the others, clouds had rolled in so that I couldn't see Venus or anything else near the western horizon. :evil:

frogesque

28-June-2005, 01:01 AM

A Thousand Pardons

28-June-2005, 01:10 AM

Cool! check my sig--those shots may be the best I can do tonight. I'm guessing Saturn was probably hidden in that line of clouds in the top photo.

Melusine

28-June-2005, 02:52 AM

Hey, Frogesque, that's pretty darn good, and I'm envious.

http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s28/smilies-2753.png

Maksutov

28-June-2005, 04:33 AM

Man, what a sight tonight!

The thunderstorms had cleared off to the east, leaving a cloudless sky. There were Venus and Mercury, a close pair in the binoculars, with Saturn considerably farther away than last night. Beautiful conjunction!

mickal555

28-June-2005, 04:43 AM

CLOUDS!

This is not fair- this should not happan in winter :cry: :cry:

Looks like I'm going to miss the comet shatering ka-boom too..

Eroica

28-June-2005, 10:20 AM

Bagged it!

Incredibly, this triple conjunction is not even mentioned in the 2005 Yearbook of Astronomy! In the monthly notes for June, the following inexplicable lapse occurs:

Mercury is unsuitably placed for observers further north than Mediterranean latitudes ... Saturn is still visible low in the western sky in the early evenings, though observers in the latitudes of the British Isles will be unable to view it after the middle of the month ...

mickal555

28-June-2005, 10:25 AM

It's in Astronomy 2005- a practical guide to the night sky*
:D

*it's for australia

Eroica

28-June-2005, 10:27 AM

I haven't been through all my pics from tonight but so far no sign of Saturn. Despite poor seeing though I did manage Venus and Mercury so 2 out of three ain't bad

http://www.frogesque.com/conj/mvconj2.jpg

http://www.frogesque.com/conj/mvdet2.jpg
I don't quite understand. Surely that's Saturn there below Venus-Mercury (which are so close they appear in the photo as a single object)? From the configuaration it looks as though that photo was taken on the 25th?

A Thousand Pardons

28-June-2005, 11:27 AM

I don't quite understand. Surely that's Saturn there below Venus-Mercury (which are so close they appear in the photo as a single object)? From the configuaration it looks as though that photo was taken on the 25th?
frogesque said they were taken on the 27th, when Venus and Mercury would have been positioned like that. On the 25th, Venus and Mercury would have been at least a half degree apart--more than the width of the full moon.

frogesque

28-June-2005, 02:40 PM

Eroica: The pics I took above were on the 27th ~ 11.00pm BST

I've been through them all and the best candidate for the three planets is this one (http://www.frogesque.com/conj/mvconj3.jpg) Note: Large file 2.1MB

Saturn may be in there, virtually lost in the general fug close to the main cloud bank on the horizon but I can't swear to it. I definitely didn't eyeball it. The seeing really was abysmal with a lot of atmospherics and a sea haar starting to roll in.

Camera Model Name
Canon EOS D60
Shooting Date/Time
27/06/2005 21:45:00 GMT (not daylight saving)
Shooting Mode
Manual
Tv( Shutter Speed )
1/60

Lens
Sigma DL Zoom, 75mm - 300mm, 1:4-5.6

A Thousand Pardons

28-June-2005, 03:20 PM

Eroica: The pics I took above were on the 27th ~ 11.00pm BSTAt 56.2°N, 3.2°W? Seems late, for that time and place. Is that British Summer Time?

frogesque

28-June-2005, 04:31 PM

Yep, British Summer Time, Eroica is in Dublin and on the same time zone as me (although a good bit south) so I thought that would be more convenient as an approximate time. The exif data from the camera is GMT (Universal Time) 'cos I can't be bothered messing with time changes. The time on the linked pic was 10.45pm Local time or 21.45 GMT - about 25 mins or so before Saturn set.

From Heavens Above (for today)

Event Time Altitude Azimuth
Astronomical twilight starts: --:--
Nautical twilight starts: --:--
Civil twilight starts: 03:24 -6.0° 29°
Sunrise: 04:27 -0.8° 43°
Sunset: 22:04 -0.8° 317°

Planet setting times: Mercury 23:25, Venus 23:26, Saturn 23:07

I was there just as the sun touched the horizon but I'm far enough North that the ecliptic skiffs under the horizon at a low angle and it never really gets dark. I also got some purtty sunset pics but no sign of Saturn.

http://www.frogesque.com/conj/sunset3.jpg

Eroica

28-June-2005, 05:37 PM

Eroica: The pics I took above were on the 27th ~ 11.00pm BST
Thanks. I stand corrected. I'm so used to looking at things through my 10x50 binoculars that I've begun to imagine that's how things look to everyone else. Your camera can obviously get a lot closer than that! :)

I found it quite difficult to separate Mercury and Venus last night.

pumpkinpie

28-June-2005, 06:02 PM

Friday night I was in the city and there were too many clouds and I didn't see anything. Saturday and Sunday I forgot to look. Oops! I heard it was too hazy, anyway. Monday night, I could easily see Venus and Mercury as I was driving home between 9:30 and 10. Saturn wasn't visible. By the time I got home, all were too low and I couldn't see anything over the trees/buildings. I was hoping to catch Saturn with my binocs, but too late!

A Thousand Pardons

28-June-2005, 07:02 PM

Maksutov

29-June-2005, 06:06 AM

Tonight was even better seeing than last night. Mercury and Venus look like they'll be an interesting duo for at least a few more days. Saturn is now a really difficult object, having dropped down into the twilight glow. I don't expect to see it again until it's in the morning sky (or courtesy of Cassini).

A Thousand Pardons

29-June-2005, 06:51 AM

Then, I guess we just wait until the evenings in August, 2008 :)

frogesque

29-June-2005, 09:07 AM

Planet setting times: Mercury 23:25, Venus 23:26, Saturn 23:07
BST, right?!

OTOH, I think I have found Saturn in your best candidate (http://www.frogesque.com/conj/mvconj3.jpg), by superimposing my starchart software on the image. There's definitely a suspicious pixel there, hiding in the clouds :)

Here's a set of crosshairs (http://mensware.home.mindspring.com/dan/frogesqu.gif), if you can orient to it.

Thanks for all your help ATP, last night I looked at my original with different enhancements and reference to your cross hair. At best I can say it's inconclusive but I'm going to give myself the benefit of the doubt.

YEAY! I bagged the three! :lol:

A Thousand Pardons

29-June-2005, 09:26 AM

If only Osama were as easily entertained as us :)

ranugad

29-June-2005, 04:17 PM

WOW!!!

Thanks to everyone in these forums, we've been watching the show nightly this past week. Seen all three!! Dang I wish I had a scope!!!

And to top it off, last night we watched the ISS go from the SW to the NE, and it was way brighter than I expected!!! And man was it movin when it reached max altitude!!!! I've tracked satellites before, but the ISS was way better!!

http://www.heavens-above.com

mickal555

29-June-2005, 04:19 PM

:(
dang clouds....

I've missed something very special :cry:

die Nullte

29-June-2005, 04:50 PM

WOW!!!

Thanks to everyone in these forums, we've been watching the show nightly this past week. Seen all three!! Dang I wish I had a scope!!!

Your best view is with binoculars. With a telescope you won't see any detail on Mercury & Venus (though you can see Venus's gibbous shape), and Saturn is so low that any detail will be blurry.

Wolverine

01-July-2005, 04:32 AM

Charlie in Dayton

01-July-2005, 04:58 AM

I've seen Mercury thrice now...once a few years back, at the last big planetary conjunction (remember when three of 'em made a triangle in the sky?), and twice last week.

The skies for the last four-five days have been absolutely reprehensible, with more gook in the air than is in the oil pan of my old Plymouth...ya coulda sliced it with a knife. But there's a cold front coming thru tonite, and things are supposed to clear up quite nicely.

One more time...sundown Friday on the riverbank behind Carillon park...tripod...200 speed film...let's see if I can get three of 'em in a picture this time.

Melusine

01-July-2005, 04:59 AM

Missed the nifty conjunction & photo op, was quite ill the last several days. However, I did manage to catch these two keeping company this evening.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7209/mv5jc.th.png (http://img155.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mv5jc.png)
Sorry you missed it, :( , but better late than never! Nice shot...crisp and clear. I think I know the trees in your backyard...this time you moved a bit to the left--those branches that stick up pointing diagonally to the right are recognizable. Compare last photo: :lol:

http://img155.echo.cx/img155/8980/submission25xa.th.png

edit typo

ranugad

01-July-2005, 05:13 AM

WOW!!

Another great show!
Twice in 3 days, the space station made another grand pass tonight!

Anyone know how many are up there right now?
Good place to find out what's going on with it currently?
I hate google, sometimes.
I googled something earlier and ended up with 160,000 hits!!

Archer17

01-July-2005, 05:16 AM

Excellent as usual Wolverine. 8)

Good "photo-analysis" Melusine. 8)

Decent post Archer17 .. :P

Archer17

01-July-2005, 05:19 AM

mickal555

01-July-2005, 05:30 AM

The clouds cleared allowing me to take one shot- saturn is easy, but I think that since we are in winter down here it gets darker quicker...

I have seen mercury about 5 times in the period of 12 mounths :D

Melusine

01-July-2005, 06:11 AM

mickal555

01-July-2005, 07:04 AM

Excellent as usual Wolverine. 8)

Good "photo-analysis" Melusine. 8)

Decent post Archer17 .. :P

http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s28/smilies-4597.png

Ok, back on topic...Mickal, where's the pic? And btw, what happened to your surprise??
It's in my camera :oops: I use film :oops: :oops:

My suprise?
There's a whole thread on it! (http://www.badastronomy.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=22578)

Charlie in Dayton

03-July-2005, 10:48 AM

The last few days have been absolutely wonderful as far as astronomy goes...Friday and Saturday evenings down on the riverbank, about 20 minutes after sundown, both Venus and Mercury have been naked-eye...yep, that's twicet this week I've seen Mercury with the Mark 1 Mod 0 eyeball. Friday night, I shot off a roll of 200 speed film in hopes of getting one good picture...we shall see mid-week when the developing's done.

This evening after the riverbank thing I went out to the Observatory at the state park...a camper stargaze was in session in the lower parking lot as I arrived. I did the 'binocular astronomy guru' thing, dispensing various tips'n'tricks, then went up to the observatory itself. A pleasant three hours was spent just looking around with a good set of 7x50's...M8...M20...M31...Albireo...Vega and the doubles...and just scanning the aky to see what was out there...

...what a night...

Arneb

03-July-2005, 05:25 PM

Gaaah. First day in 10 with any horizon to speak of - Got Venus and Mercury in the same FOV in the telescope. But nor Mercury and no Saturn by naked eye. :x :x :x

Somebody in New Mexico need a physician from Germany? :-? :-? :-?

Last year there was a very nice morning visibility of Mercury in early September: Mercury and Regulus close to the horizon, with Saturn in Gemini high above. Venus as a fat morning star between them. On (I think) the 9th the Moon was a hair-fine sliver beside Mercury and Regulus.

But that was on Corsica, of course.... 8)

Meteora

03-July-2005, 10:20 PM

Finally got to unequivocally see Mercury last evening. I think I saw it a couple of years ago, but last night it was about as high in the sky as it ever is, and not far from Venus.

Also got to see the ISS the night before. We happened to see a bright thing in the sky, surmised that it was a satellite of some sort, and looked it up. Definitely ISS.

8) 8) 8)

mickal555

04-July-2005, 05:13 AM

I can still see saturn, venus, and mecurary naked eye. I can also see jupiter plus the moon and mars later on. That's 7 inc the earth :D all naked eye. :D

bad novice

04-July-2005, 10:24 PM

If you ever want to impress a kid, show them saturn through a decent telescope. You should see their face just after that !!
To top it off, i could show mercury, venus (my first visit to mercury!) and jupiter. "Are you a scientist or something?," quizzed one of the kids. Coming from a 10 year old, that is a compliment :)

mercury

24-April-2006, 09:12 AM

Wow, so many people have seen my little identity planet! I'm quite surprised at its apparernt proximity to the Sun, and its hazy white colour. Still the degree to the horizon was not much, really. (probably bcause at that time I was closer to equator)

MG1962A

24-April-2006, 10:16 AM

Yes I have seen it lol - a very embarrasing story actually. Was a lot further south and a lot brighter than I ever recalled - and quiet high in the sky.

Because time was short, rather than check my charts I rang a couple of friends who were members of the local astronomy group to confirm they were seeing what I was seeing.

yes so instead of the assumed nova (hopeful supernova because of the colour) I jagged good old humble mercury lol.

And yes I have never lived it down lol