Mercury as a Winter Morning Star

[CentaurZ]

Elusive Mercury has commenced its apparition in the predawn eastern sky following its inferior conjunction between Earth and Sun on 2023 DEC 22. This is a favorable apparition for most observation latitudes.

Photos and descriptions of Mercury during this apparition would be welcome additions to this thread.

 

[Pete Presland]

Always really cool to see Mercury, not hard to see if you know where to look. I have pointed to quite a few people over the years and they are always surprised how easy it is to see it, when pointed in the right direction. 

I have never managed a really decent image  though.

[PeterStudz]

I have yet to see Mercury. Although I’ve only really been into astronomy for 3 yrs now, the view from my garden suffers from trees so anything low can be problematic.

However, looking at this I do have a chance between the 2nd & 14th January. Let’s hope for clear skies!  

[Spile]

I find the secret to finding Mercury is to scan with binoculars first. Once you have found it with them you’ll know where to look with your eyes and then your telescope.

[John]

I've seen Mercury often with binoculars but from where I observe it is difficult to get a telescope on to it due to it's low altitude and plenty of obstacles around my horizons to get in the way.

When I have observed it with a scope, seeing the tiny disk with a clear phase is a nice reward 🙂

[Marvin Jenkins]

Just seen Mercury naked eye low on the Eastern horizon, my first sighting for some time. Really nice to see Mercury, Venus and a perfect half moon on the ecliptic.

Marv

[Nik271]

I managed a quick view of Mercury with binoculars at about 7:30am today, a rare moment of clear skies here. 

[gp102m]

Clear skies here this morning, Mercury was clear to the naked eye.

Views through a telescope showed a disk, but no phase discernible. Seeing not so good due to being close to the horizon.

[andrew63]

I saw it in binoculars around 7.40, although skies to bright for visual view by then.

[PeterStudz]

I had a go this morning. Both naked eye and with binoculars. But I think that there are too many obstacle from my garden. I had hoped to catch it in a gap! Mind, lovely sunrise, view of the moon and Venus. 
 

[andrew63]

Clouds were low down in the area of Mercury, but lovely view of Venus and crescent moon. 

 

Edited January 8 by andrew63
photo

[Voxish]

Well if the clouds ever disappear I will definitely throw the scope in the car and head out for a view. I always view Mercury as an evening target and had some decent (for Mercury) last year. 

[Franklin]

Opening the curtains this morning well before sunrise and I was greeted with a clear South-Western horizon, for a change. Venus was bright in SSE and a very slender crescent waning Moon below it and to the East. I couldn't see illusive Mercury with the naked eye, probably my aging eyes! But scanning with the binoculars revealed this tiny world, still further East and slightly higher than the Moon. The Romans called this little world Mercury, the Greeks Hermes and the Egyptians Thoth, I call it a faint dot of light on the threshold of visibility. Still, it's nice to see the Suns closest neighbour.