Diana and Hermes

After a clear and lovely day, there were hints of clouds off in the east and south, but I'd seen hints that Mercury would have a pointer in the young moon with the Seven Sisters just above. So I got out after the sun had sunk below the horizon and went hunting. I used the 10x50's and after a few minutes found the moon, but the sky was still to bright to find the faint dot of Mercury. I left it a little while, gambling that the clouds would hold away, went back about 15 minutes later, and there, a little below the moon was the innermost planet. It took a little while longer, but as the sky darkened I was able to see Mercury with the naked eye.

I grabbed the camera, on the redsnapper, and using the 55-250 caught a few shots.



With a plane that moved quite a way during the exposure


A couple of different variations with clouds




Any my favourite, I saw a big bank of cloud moving in, and waited until it partially filled the frame, threatening the Moon and Mercury and caught this


The clouds moved in with a vengeance after that. I'm glad I got to see Mercury at last, I've been trying for quite some time now. I have now seen all the planets from Saturn inwards.