Mercury and more ...

[John]

I've had a nice evening

Lovely sunset, clear skies to the west and I managed to find Mercury for the 1st time for years and view it through my ED80. The planets disk is tiny even at 150x but I could clearly see the phase (about 50%). The planet appeared yellowish / orange but I was looking through some of the Port Talbot "murk" to see it !.

Then moved up to Venus - much bigger than Mercury of course and obviously white compared to the smaller planet. Suspected that I could see shadowy patches on the sunlit side but I'm sure that's a trick of the eye.

Then on to Saturn. Not as well placed as it was but I could still glimpse the Cassini Division and a band on the planets disk. Always a lovely sight.

If I can get a glimpse of Jupiter later on that will round off my evening just nicely

John

[Akyra]

How close are you to Port Talbot then mate? I live in Pyle/Margam area!!!

[geppetto]

Great night there John 8)

Have yet to see Mercury through a scope, will

hve to try it when conditions are right

[John]

How close are you to Port Talbot then mate? I live in Pyle/Margam area!!!

I'm observing from Portishead on the English side of the Severn. From my vantage point the sun sets over the Swansea / Port Talbot area I reckon.

John

Postscript to my orginal post: I've just managed to catch a few minutes looking at Jupiter very low down to the south. It's tree-dodging stuff there but I managed to make out 3 darker cloud bands and the suggeston of some formations in between the equatorial bands. If only Jupiter was higher in the sky - I reckon it would be magnificent !.

[The Warthog]

Ya know, I was looking at some possible cloud-top detail in the northern part of the sunlit side. I thought it may be a trick of the eye, too, but the atmosphere was pretty steady tonight, and I have been told you can see detail on the cloudtops occasionally. So maybe we did.