| Venus has sunk dramatically in the weeks since I last imaged it, but this time Mercury has rejoined the evening scene. Tonight they happen to be at virtually the same elevation relative to the horizon, so they set at almost exactly the same time, but they are so far apart, 8°43'34" apart, that there is no conjunction. Venus is magnitude -4.40, Mercury checks in at -0.24, while Mars at +1.76 is much fainter, almost as faint as it can be. Note how far south of the ecliptic Venus is, while Mars and Mercury are both noticeably north of the ecliptic. |