ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
These days, a rare guest in temperate latitudes is visible on the evening sky (northern hemisphere). Just above the northwestern horizon, planet Mercury has its last evening visibility of this year. Next week it's best to view; on the 13th, the crescent moon will visit this timid guest of our twilights.
I just barely made it to erect my tripod/camera to catch Mercury, until it would hide behind the horizon (or the houses/trees). It's one of the brightest objects of the night sky, but it's really really close to the horizon. And heck, does our planet Earth rotate quickly! This is a stack of three photographs taken within half a minute. Any exposure time beyond 3 seconds would have stretched the distant dot to a star trail.
ETA: I'm at about 11°E (CEST times), so people more western than me still have a chance to spot the shy planet tonight.
I just barely made it to erect my tripod/camera to catch Mercury, until it would hide behind the horizon (or the houses/trees). It's one of the brightest objects of the night sky, but it's really really close to the horizon. And heck, does our planet Earth rotate quickly! This is a stack of three photographs taken within half a minute. Any exposure time beyond 3 seconds would have stretched the distant dot to a star trail.
ETA: I'm at about 11°E (CEST times), so people more western than me still have a chance to spot the shy planet tonight.
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