Venus & Mercury naked eye

[brantuk]

Anyone with a clear western aspect - pop out quick and you'll see them both there together - awesome

[yeti monster]

Yes, stunning. I've been looking at them since just after sunset. Took a while to find Venus with the 20x80s, and then took ages until I could see Mercury.

Eventually I could see them both naked eye as the sky got darker.

The really good thing is, I now know that I don't have to set up in the top field, I can get them from right outside the front door. It's looking good for Mars shortly and some more "first light" with the new EPs.

[brantuk]

Brilliant Yeti - unfortunately I was driving west with a chinese meal in the passenger seat at the time - so no chance with the scope - but they just looked beautiful hanging there almost in line with earth

[Taff]

Yes' i saw them tonight i called the wife out to have a look at them great sight to see.Mark

[yeti monster]

I was driving west with a chinese meal in the passenger seat at the time -

How far east did you have to go to get your chinese? What did you have BTW? I'm rather fond of chinese food (as, I suppose, one might expect).

[FraserClarke]

Yes, it was very nice this evening. I haven't seen Mercury for quite a few years

[LukeSkywatcher]

No luck tonight.

Yesterday evening at 8:30pm i spotted Venus (naked eye) to the west. I grabbed my bins and had a look. I spotted a smaller point of light to the right which turned out to be Mercury. That's my 1st ever time seeing Mercury. They were both in the same FOV through my bins.

Honestly i could not see Mercury with the naked eye. I think the sky was still too bright. It was only with the bins i saw it.

[Rui]

Yes, now is the best time to watch Mercury this year.

And with Venus as a guide, it's impossible to miss it. It's so rare to see it so high and in a relatively dark sky.

It's a great occasion to show your neighbours that they can see 5 naked eye planets at the same evening.

[brantuk]

Great idea Rui - that's gotto blow the neighbours away

Yes Luke - tonight was my first sight of Mercury too - glad we can at least tick them off the list

Well TeaDwarf - you're ahead of all of us if you've seen them both before - nice one

Taff - was that the first time your good lady has seen Mercury too?

Lol @ Yeti - just to the next village 1.5 miles - not too far East but I get your drift. I had chicken and mushroom with egg fried rice - the perfect conclusion to a first sighting of mercury

[brantuk]

Luke - let's hope you get to see it over the next couple of nights - hope the weather stays clear for you - let the sun go right under the horizon - it really stands out as twilight turns darker

[LukeSkywatcher]

I know Venus is "The Evening Star" and can often be seen above the rooftops during the spring/summer months. I had no idea that Mercury ever rose to the same elevation as Venus.

Last evening they were in a straight line from each other above the rooftops in the same FOV.

It was pretty mind blowing.

I can now add Mercury to my list of observed planets.

All i need now is Neptune,Uranus and Pluto (yes i still consider it a planet).

[brantuk]

Yup Luke - that's all I need for the set too - and pluto's a planet as you rightly say - has been since I was knee high to a grass hopper lol

[Rui]

C'mon folks. Uranus is easy with binoculars.

Here goes a chart for Uranus and Neptune. Good luck.

Uranus_Neptune_2010.pdf

[Betelguese]

Was driving through Scotland last night, very clear with no light pollution. Venus looked stunning above the tree line, with Mercury nearby. Venus is so bright and obvious that it must even catch the eye of people with no interest in astronomy !!

Mercury though is fleeting and it's brightness is dropping rapidly.

But what a sight !

astronomycentral.co.uk

[Rui]

Yes, now is the best time to watch Mercury this year.

And with Venus as a guide, it's impossible to miss it. It's so rare to see it so high and in a relatively dark sky.

It's a great occasion to show your neighbours that they can see 5 naked eye planets at the same evening.

I was expecting someone to ask: "5 planets in the evening? You can only see Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn!"

The fifth naked eye planet visible in the evening stands just below our feet. It's called Earth.

[gliderpilot]

Nice sight isn't it? I made my first ever telescopic view of Mercury - having started observing in 1996!

Mark

[BAZ Senior]

I found Venus and Mercury last night, and my friend from two doors up came round, so I showed them to him through the Bins, even Mrs Baz came to have a look. Its the third time Iv'e seen Mercury, but then I have been looking since I was fourteen.

[Lowstar]

Result!!

After keeping an eye out for most of this week the 100% cloud cover finally broke and there they were. In a darkening light blue sky Venus was extremely bright. That said Mercury was the one i really wanted to see. In the pictures i`ve seen posted recently Mercury has been below and off to the right but tonight she was more or less level with her sister planet. Got the binos on them and wondered would it be worth running for the Dob. I`ve not got a great view to the west so i had to carry the dob about 60 yards. Arrived in one piece, stuck in the 5.2mm and looked at the boiling, multicoloured spectrum jumble of light. Bu**er!! To be honest i wasn`t too annoyed really as was lucky to see them with my own eyes given the cloudy weather we`ve been having. I`m pretty happy

Clear Skies,

Will.

[brantuk]

I caught them again tonight - this time with my trusty Liddl "Rockwell" binocs - I could only just make out the phase of Mercury but had to fiddle with the focussing a bit - still at least it was pretty crystal and a fine test for the £14 binocs which seemed to perform beyond what you'd expect. I'll try again tomorrow with the big bins

[spacetrace]

Here is my pic of Venus and Mercury together

[Lowstar]

Thats the one...one`s