Daylight Venus and Mercury

[philj]

I have said this many times but what I enjoy about practical astronomy is that everytime you take a scope out you can see something or new and yesterday was no exception.

Whilst messing about in the obs trying to get the mount to control remote wirelesly via a wireless USB hub I thought I would have a bash at viewing Venus in daylight 16:00, keeping scope and eyes well away from the sun of course. And I got it:D

I was really surprised at just how bright it was, the finder picked it out dead easy and no probs with the 102ED. The view was messy due to high winds and atmospherics but I could see the disc easily. I put my best clean specs on and tried to fing it without a scope and sighting along the top of the scope tube was the only way I could see it. Away from the scope with no reference point I just could not find it at all.

OK bouyed with the success of Venus, how about Mercury?

Cripes there it was, dimmer and smaller but easy in the finder and a doddle in the scope. A bit of magnification showed a tiny disc.

They wernt earth shattering views but it was a definite 1st for me and if the clouds keep away Ill try it again today.

Phil

[Doc]

Well done Phil. I've never seen Mercury through a scope, I imagine it's not much to look at but well done on seeing it.

[yeti monster]

Weldone indeed. I'm waiting for the storm cloeds to begger orft so that I can get a view of the pair together soon. When I return home these 2 are on my target list for the star party and fuzzy hunt I'm hoping to have (weather permitting). I shall try during the daylight although my plan is to get them just after sun set.

[philj]

No Mick theres not much to see but its the challenge that counts:D

Yeti - Theres nothing like catching them just after sunset especially when they are as close as they are getting. But catching them during the day was great, couldnt have done it without goto though

[yeti monster]

What magnifiaction were you using, i.e. how wide a field of view? Could you get them both in at the same time, or is it still too early for that?

[philj]

They are way too far apart for both in the same view at the moment.

I was using my ED102, initially finding them in the 8x50 finder was a doddle, especially Venus. Then in the scope 30x then 100x but the image was not stable enough to get a clean disc. So after a bit of messing I found 50x gave about the best for Venus and 80x for Mercury these showed discs but they werent clean because of atmospherics

[DarkerSky]

Nice one. I know I have read somewhere that it is much easier to pick up subtle shading on Venus when it is against a blue sky as there is less glare than when it is dark

[yeti monster]

This evening I have mananged to take a few minutes out from testing my BOPs to have a look at Venus through the 20x60s, she was bright as usual, and below and to the north I spotted Mercury, tiny and rather dim in the reddening haze. They are still too far apart to get into the FOV of the bins, perhaps my 20x80s would catch them both, but they are at home. It was nice to have a clear sky for a change, and a lovely way to start my shift.

[AztecastroMcJ]

well done

no luck here, weather is terrible

James

[John]

I caught the pair visually at around 7:30 pm this evening, in a clear patch of sky just before a huge rain storm rolled across the Severn estuary from Wales. They made a lovely pair - Mercury seemed brighter than I expected.

[philj]

Your lucky chaps, just cloud here all evening, tomorrows supposed to be better though

[David135]

Not strictly a daylight sighting but I managed to catch them both with my naked eye on March 27th about an hour after sunset — weather's been dreadful since. Used binoculars to find Mercury, when I knew where to look I could just pick it out with my naked eye. I took a wide image of the pair, now where to post it...

[Dangerous-Dave]

Well done, had a look (and took a few photos) of Venus and Mercury last night, albeit after the sun had set and there is phase detail to see, if nothing else. Unfortunately both are gibbous - Venus about 80%, Mercury just over half - and small at the moment.

[DarkerSky]

Got them both for the first time in this evening's twilght. Just managed to squeeze them both into the same FOV with 16x50 binos. A very exciting sight

[philj]

Well done, not seen them together yet in teh twilight but just had the scope on tehm in the obs Mercury very definite phase showing now. Int goto great

Phil

[RikM]

I caught the pair visually at around 7:30 pm this evening, in a clear patch of sky just before a huge rain storm rolled across the Severn estuary from Wales. They made a lovely pair - Mercury seemed brighter than I expected.

Just up the M5 from you John, I had a good view of Venus, but Mercury was still deep in the cloud at 8:00. I waited for a break in the cloud, but sadly not tonight.

Rik

[mike.brightmore]

Mercury was a naked eye object last night - around 8 p.m. Almost exactly due West, pretty low on the horizon (about 12 deg. altitude) but still above neighbours' houses. Now very close and just to the right of the much brighter Venus and about the same altitude. Very easy to see in binoculars (but wait for the Sun to fully set) and in same FOV as Venus.

[George Jones]

I put my best clean specs on and tried to fing it without a scope and sighting along the top of the scope tube was the only way I could see it.

One easy way to find Venus in the daytime is to use the Moon as a guide. If there happens to be a clear day when Venus and the Moon are close in the sky, use planetarium software to see the relative orientation of Venus and the Moon in the daytime, and then have a look. I have used this technique a number of times to see Venus naked-eye at midday (11:00 - 13:00). This works best near the dates of Venus's greatest eastern and western elongations, so that the Moon is as big as possible.

My wife and I saw Venus and Mercury a little after sunset last night,

http://stargazerslounge.com/observing-planetary/100887-venus-mercury.html#post1408613.

[Brinders]

I've observed Venus in daylight using the Celestron SLT60. I have Baader solar film covering the open apeture of the lens cap attached to the scope and use planetary align using the sun as my alignment object, then slew to Venus. Ensuring that the sun is out of harms way, I then take of the lens cap to view Venus. You can easily see the phases of Venus in daylight this way.

Brinders