Nik271 Posted December 27, 2022 Share Posted December 27, 2022 (edited) Last evening I managed to see all the seven planets in the space of an hour, from 4:30 to 5:30pm! I was having a late afternoon walk with my partner and we could already see the crescent Moon, Jupiter and Mars just after sunset. The western horizon was exceptionally clear and soon we could spot Venus shining brightly over the distant line of hills. I knew that Mercury is still near elongation and close to Venus, so we waited until it got darker. At 4:45pm when Venus had disappeared behind the hills, we could just about spot the faint sparkle of Mercury only 5 degrees above the horizon. By that time Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were of course prominent in the sky, together with the Moon they were plotting the line of the ecliptic for all to see. When we got home I took out the binoculars and we quickly bagged Neptune (conveniently near Jupiter) and Uranus (making a triangle with Sigma and Omicron Arietis) It was 5:30pm 🙂 I've seen them all before but never in one evening and so well placed, just in time for dinner! Edited December 27, 2022 by Nik271 typos corrected 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted December 27, 2022 Share Posted December 27, 2022 Excellent stuff @Nik271. Quite an achievement. Same as you, I’ve done them all in a night before, but it took four or five hours to see them all. You achieved a sort of speed dating for planets 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Spock Posted December 27, 2022 Share Posted December 27, 2022 Nicely done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maw lod qan Posted December 27, 2022 Share Posted December 27, 2022 Well done. Remember you were looking over hills, on Earth, so you saw eight of the nine! Yes, back in my younger days pluto was a planet, and still is in my meager mind! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carbon Brush Posted December 27, 2022 Share Posted December 27, 2022 Great report. Yesterday I was visiting family. After dark we took a walk to a nearby street, known for its Christmas light displays. I discussed with my 7 years old granddaughter whether the bright yellow sickle thing low down might be space banana and was corrected. I pointed out Jupiter and (a very orange) Mars. Unfortunately a combination of cloud and buildings kept Saturn out of sight. I had to time things right for Mars to be visible. The street had LED lighting, as often the case, intense white pools with dimmer areas away. As I walked along the street, Mars vanished, only to reappear a few yards later when I escaped the glare.😡 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuburbanMak Posted December 27, 2022 Share Posted December 27, 2022 @Nik271 - that’s a special observation, nicely done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroNebulee Posted December 27, 2022 Share Posted December 27, 2022 Lovely report, really making my itch to get back into observing. What a special view you had. I've not managed to spot Uranus yet. Lee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Scarlet Posted December 28, 2022 Share Posted December 28, 2022 Well done. I had/have an intention to try for the same but the weather is making it unlikely. By the time it’s scheduled to improve I think Mercury will be too difficult annoyingly. Magnus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kon Posted December 30, 2022 Share Posted December 30, 2022 Fantastic achievement! Weather has not played ball to see them all yet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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