Venus and Mercury

[dobsonian]

Hello,
I observed both Venus and Mercury this evening from my back garden, which is an exceptional event as the horizon is partially blocked . I picked up both planets about 5.35 using only the naked eye. It was a beautiful sight, Venus blazing out at -4.0 while Mercury was further down to the right at a modest 1.0 magnitude. The sky was a deep unsullied blue which added to the beauty of the scene, you don't need a telescope to appreciate the night sky.
dobsonian

[Paul Evans]

Here's my shot of the pair from this evening - this taken on the road from Dunmurry to Dundrod at 1800 this evening (6th Feb). Lough Neagh in the foreground.



Paul.

[dobsonian]

Hello Paul,
A very nice composition, it was surprising how high up the planets were, most times they are much closer to the horizon before they are visible to the naked eye. Something to do with the angle of the ecliptic , I suppose.
Regards,
dobsonian

[pook]

Great snap Paul,
After your focusing tip on Mon. night, I also had a try for the two planets.
Best regards
Pook

[Paul Evans]

That's a nice shot Philip - a little later than mine - if you compare your original full size shot with a star map for the date concerned you may well be able to identify Uranus just above Venus, so you might even have three planets there!

Clear skies,

Paul.