Mercury, Uranus and Nepture

[entropia]

How hard is to spot these planets? I read Mercury would be visible these days but it has been cloudy this week, besides it is harder to spot since it is so close to the Sun. There are a few post about Uranus but haven't seen anything on Neptune. 

[Graham Darke]

Mercury is elusive as its only visible for a few days at elongation then gets too close to the Sun again. Ive seen it a few times in the daylight by using the Solar System Align option on my C6SE by aligning on the Sun, with a white light solar filter in place, and then doing a goto Mercury. Neptune is a bit too close to the sun to observe now but is an easy spot when visible in a night sky. I think its possible with binoculars if you know where to point them. Its blue colour is easy to make out.

[AndyWB]

Mercury - I saw it on the 2nd; with a low horizon and clear skies, it actually became quite visible. At first after sunset the sky was initially a bit too bright; I simply couldn't find it, even though the moon and already-set sun made good guides for where to find it. However, a half hour later it was visible - albeit in rubbish seeing due to lots of atmosphere, and it having just been daytime. Shortly before it set it became a bright evening star.

Neptune wasn't too hard when I looked last year, closer to it's opposition. It sort of just looked like a 'fat' star. Unremarkable, and yet it did seem different to the stars around it, somehow. And yes, blue.

[Charon]

I have seen Mercury several times, as for the other two well it is a a big fat ZERO. I am determined to sort this out soon.

[DommyDevil18]

The closest I seen Uranus was back in the Constellation of Pisces in September 18th? I took an image that I was impressed with because although Uranus is quite featureless the main thing was that I got an image of its spherical composition. Neptune I recently saw alongside Uranus both near the constellation of Taurus to the naked eye as two Blue faint stars but when I got my camera out I again observed Uranus Cyan disc and Neptunes royal blue.

Mercury I seen in the Constellation of Gemini? Back in the November time. 

[entropia]

I tried a couple of weeks ago but I couldn't find Mercury. Too bad, it will be next time. My goal is to see all the planets in the solar system. 

[Paul73]

I tried a couple of weeks ago but I couldn't find Mercury. Too bad, it will be next time. My goal is to see all the planets in the solar system.

Of course bagging the whole set is a much easier proposition now we have realised that Pluto isn't a planet after all!

I wonder if the same approach would work on the last few Messiers??

Paul

[entropia]

Of course bagging the whole set is a much easier proposition now we have realised that Pluto isn't a planet after all!

I wonder if the same approach would work on the last few Messiers??

Paul

That's true, I think I might never see Pluto unless I go to an observatory. But in my heart Pluto will always be a planet

Messier list is a long one... (for me)

[DommyDevil18]

I am happy to own a really powerful Telescope and I have seen Pluto couldn't tell you what colour it was though but you can barely see its disc which is quite exciting