Venus and Mercury at sunset

[Brian]

Good clear SW horizon at sunset today, just a very few rogue clouds moving quickly along in the bright twilight.

Using 10x50 Meade, Venus was easily picked up in the SSW at 16.h25UT at 8deg altitude. Then Mercury was seen, at "5 o'clock" to Venus, and 1/3FOV distance, and easy object. Venus -3.9mag, Mercury -0.8mag, sepn 1.25deg (and closing).

By 16.h45Ut venus was a very easy n'eye object, alt 5deg.

Here's a snapshot taken at 17h02UT as Mercury disappears into the branches of a distant tree:

2015Jan06_Venusand Mercury_sunset.jpg (95.67 KiB) Viewed 2632 times

[David Frydman]

Very nice, Brian.

According to a news item, there is a rare chance to see Mercury in north Lincs., seems to suggest nowhere else.

regards, David

[mike a feist]

Mercury & Venus Observation much the same as yours Brian. Times 1630 UT located them from the upper west window using binocular and then IS 60 Opticron scope at x18, both fitting into the fov, in the orientation your photograph shows. Only Venus to unaided eye. Mercury set behind hedgerow on distant Southwick Hill at 1652 and Venus went 11 minutes later at 1703. [Mercury Obs# 477] regards maf

[hershel]

Nice picture though mercury is barely seen.

[PaulB]

Yesterday afternoon (1630hrs) I caught my first views of Venus. I didn't see Mercury through.

Skies were very clear, but sadly deteriorated later.

[Gregger]

Been tracking Venus since about 15:55 but no sign of Mercury as the cloud thickens (it's pretty though!)

[Brian]

10x50 Meade, 17h05UT

Venus and Mercury low in SW, at smallest separation this conjunction. Venus -3.9m. Mercury -0.7m, at 5'oclock position to Venus, sepn. 40arcmin. Separation increases from now as the planets move apart

[PaulB]

I saw them both yesterday evening. Venus with binos and unaided eye. Mercury with binos but, sadly, I couldn't see Mercury visually.

[trynda1701]

I tried yesterday (Monday 12th) from a south facing window with 8x30 Halina binoculars, at 16:45, but despite seeing Venus sink towards and thru a hazy horizon, did not see Mercury despite scanning till 17:30!

But this evening, Tuesday 13th, I spotted Venus with the naked eye briefly for two minutes just above the clouds on the horizon, and when I scanned with the 8x30's spotted Mercury immediately, about a degree to the right of Venus.

Another chance observation on the fly. Even with all the bad weather the UK has, I love getting sightings like this!

Mark

[coldfieldboundary]

Finally a clear sky after rain shower in the West for me, so this is my first attempt. Very low, but Venus and Mercury were visible with the unaided eye. Mercury is a bit higher, but only for a couple of days now, it will also get fainter fast. A quick shot with the small camera:
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[trynda1701]

Very nice picture there. Replace the trees in it with horizon clouds, and that's what I saw in my 8x30 binoculars for a few minutes.

Mark

[trynda1701]

Sunday 18th January, 2015.

Got another look at this pairing this evening. Having been clear all day, at 16:40, had a look out of a south west facing upstairs window, and found Venus quickly with the 10x50W's, and then with the naked eye. Slight horizon clouds drifting along, but no problem spotting Venus. At 16:45, swept up Mercury in the binoculars, about half a field to the west (approx 3.5 degrees?), and slightly lower than Venus in altitude.

Kept looking for Mercury with the naked eye, and confirmed it at 17:05. Five minutes later, it had set behind the row of houses behind ours, so I timed it perfectly! First time I've seen them together with the naked eye.

Mark