At dusk today, my super camera Astro-point (joking, but soon I will :-)), handheld one toward the setting sun. As has always been a law for these dates, there were two close together: Mercury and Venus, the two planets closest to the sun and separated by an angular distance of 7 degrees west.
Mercury at a height above the horizon of 8 degrees looked shy but striking. For some reason, unlike other planets that seemed to shiver product of the atmospheric effect. Briefly these days has been separated from the sun nearing its peak in perihelion (yesterday) as possible see it fleetingly, as it will return to earth in its morning peak on the horizon in mid-March.
almost completely overshadowing to Mercury for its huge bright (brighter in the sky above the star Sirius), Venus is always unique and impossible to ignore. Today is 24 degrees the sun and moves into its greatest elongation, which reached on June 8 and then declined to below the horizon evening, returning as a planet morning in late October and early November.
And that astronomy is not boring as many people probably think. Nature has given us a number of shows we attend throughout the year, even to the naked eye and do not need to wait for big events such as eclipses or the sighting of a comet. For example, when taking a picture of Mercury and Venus to the other end of the horizon and the ecliptic, is Saturn out of the constellation of LEO and whose opposition maximum we will see this February 10. However, to appreciate the majesty of its rings is necessary to at least write it down with a small telescope of 70 mm (preferably refractor).
Mercury at a height above the horizon of 8 degrees looked shy but striking. For some reason, unlike other planets that seemed to shiver product of the atmospheric effect. Briefly these days has been separated from the sun nearing its peak in perihelion (yesterday) as possible see it fleetingly, as it will return to earth in its morning peak on the horizon in mid-March.
almost completely overshadowing to Mercury for its huge bright (brighter in the sky above the star Sirius), Venus is always unique and impossible to ignore. Today is 24 degrees the sun and moves into its greatest elongation, which reached on June 8 and then declined to below the horizon evening, returning as a planet morning in late October and early November.
And that astronomy is not boring as many people probably think. Nature has given us a number of shows we attend throughout the year, even to the naked eye and do not need to wait for big events such as eclipses or the sighting of a comet. For example, when taking a picture of Mercury and Venus to the other end of the horizon and the ecliptic, is Saturn out of the constellation of LEO and whose opposition maximum we will see this February 10. However, to appreciate the majesty of its rings is necessary to at least write it down with a small telescope of 70 mm (preferably refractor).
angular separation Mercury-Venus: 70 09 `46 ``
Position: Ht: 110 Az
2590 Mercury above the horizon: 80 38 116`
Mercury elongation: near its maximum at perihelion ( 180 07 `51 ``)
Venus near the horizon: 150 40 159
Venus' elongation: 240 55` 58 ``
(Data collected at the Starry Night Pro 5)
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