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[Centaur]

The elusive little planet Mercury has begun its apparition as a morning star following its inferior conjunction between Earth and Sun on 2011 AUG 16. The morning celestial geometry is rather favorable at this time of year for observers in the northern hemisphere, but somewhat poor for those south of the tropics.

I’ve created diagrams illustrating Mercury’s entire current morning apparition as observed from Chicagoland and Sydney. However, they should well serve most observers in the respective hemispheres. They can be seen by clicking: www.CurtRenz.com/mercury

All dates given here are based on CDT (UT-5). Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation of 18.1° from the Sun on SEP 03. It will attain its highest altitude at 30 minutes before sunrise from Chicagoland on SEP 04 at 10.6°. On that same date it will achieve dichotomy (50% illuminated like a Half Moon). Before that date it will be a crescent and afterward gibbous. While increasing in brightness, it will then fall to superior conjunction behind the Sun on SEP 28.

The waning crescent Moon will appear to the upper right of Mercury on AUG 27. Mercury will pass 0.7° north of Regulus on SEP 08. Mercury will not appear in the vicinity of other planets during this apparition.

Photos and descriptions of Mercury’s morning apparition would be welcome additions to this thread.

[Paulie pchris00]

I'll be on the lookout for it. Haven't seen Mercury since mid-March, when MESSENGER first went into orbit around it.

[wwpierre]

Thank you for this. I have seen Mercury only once very fleetingly, (less than a minute) in the evening before it slipped below the ridge. This is how it will appear to me on the morning of the 4th of next month. Whether the weather will cooperate, and whether I will have the discipline to rouse myself at such an ungodly hour remain unanswered questions.

Attachments:

[Paulie pchris00]

Aug 21, 2011 15:22:23 GMT -6 wwpierre said:

Whether the weather will cooperate, and whether I will have the discipline to rouse myself at such an ungodly hour remain unanswered questions.

I very much dislike getting out of bed that early, but for Mercury, I would gladly do it, at least near the Western Elongation, at it's best.

[Centaur]

All right Paulie and Pierre, I’ll sound reveille on my trumpet to get you out of your sacks early!

[Paulie pchris00]

Not necessary. I'm up all night, and don't have to get out of bed at sunrise.

[wwpierre]

I was up this AM at 5:45. There was no sign of Mercury in the notch. I even went up to the top floor balcony; no seegar. Jupiter was still bright high in the sky, and Rigel was still visible in the S/E, but the rising sun had already obliterated Mars, and I didn't notice Procyon, so it was already pretty bright. I may take my grab and go and go up the valley far enough tomorrow morning to see around the shoulder of the mountain.

[wwpierre]

I was awakened at 3:45 to attend to an urgent matter. (not serious, but urgent, if you know what I mean) After it was attended to, I went out to the kitchen deck and looked east. The sky was clear, so I went back to bed and began planning where in town I could set up to be able to see Mercury rise east of the shoulder of the mountain. I planned on just putting my Royal Astro 76 in the back of the pickup already set up, and driving slowly and carefully, probably to the sports field at the high school.

However, the fog rolled in, and the quest became moot, so I went back to sleep.

When I awoke later with the sun streaming in, I realized that I had dreamed the fog.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.