Merkur and Venus March 2018

Photos - Large Views | Photos - Sections | Photos - Two Days Later | Conclusions | Links

The following photos show Mercury and Venus, which were quite close to each other at the evening sky in March 2018. Although I was not able to observe them both at the moment of their closest distance, I was at least able to observe them both at a time when they could just be seen together in binoculars (March 12 and 14, 2018). Before that (March 7, 2018) we were only able to see them one by one, that is, the second planet was always covered by clouds...

In the Sky-Watcher Skymax-102 telescope, Mercury only produced a rainbow-coloured small disc with fuzzy edges that moved quickly. There was simly too much turbulence in the air near the horizon...

Most photos were taken with a Sony RX100 M4, my wife's photo with a Sony RX100 M1.

Photos - Large Views

An earlier photo taken by my wife (Sony RX100 M1)

Ditto with markers (Mercury on top, Venus below)

Mercury below a cloud...

Ditto with markers (Mercury on top, Venus below)

Venus hides behind clouds

Ditto with markers (Mercury on top, Venus below)

Photos - Sections


At the beginning, Venus was higher up in the sky, later it was between the clouds; Mercury fights with clouds...

Ditto with markers (Mercury on top, Venus below)

Venusapproached the clouds at the horizon, Mercury frees itself from the clouds...

Ditto with markers (Mercury on top, Venus below)

Venus hides behind the clouds at the horizon

Ditto with markers (Mercury on top, Venus below)

Photos - Two Day Later

The following photos were taken two days later, that is, on March 14, 2018, when the sky was clear.


Mercury is higher up in the sky

Ditto

Venus approaches the horizon

Venus nearly gone

Conclusions

All in all, it was exciting to observe and photograph Venus and Mercury in the evening sky. However, the clouds that covered one or both planets made it again and again more exciting than we would have asked for. But two days later, the sky was finally completely clear - and maybe it was a little bit dull...