[meteorite-list] Venus, Mercury, and Saturn

From: MexicoDoug_at_aol.com <MexicoDoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Jun 20 16:39:58 2005
Message-ID: <c.475ccd88.2fe88396_at_aol.com>

Hola - Here's a nice easy family-friendly astronomical event to see!

What ever you do, don't miss this natural chance alignment right after
Sunset among (Earth), Venus, Mercury, and Saturn which I mentioned in a prior
email in the list archives on June 3.

It will be truly beautiful on June 25, 26, 27 and even 28. Imagine three of
 the brightest objects in the sky, with Mercury now to be at its easiest.
No equipment (Though in binoculars or a low power scope they will still be
beautiful in the eyepiece(s) - all in the field of view.

Less than two degrees! Thats four full Moon diameters. Not to mention that
 Venus-and Mercury will simulate a view from Venus of what the Earth-Moon
looks like from there at best timing the 26-27, that are what, less than a fifth
of the diameter of the full Moon away from each other.

I promise you won't want to miss this, no special equipment needed. Just
watch where the Sun sets, and wait for dark. You will see the planets take
form long before the sky loses its light...
Brightest white planet = Venus -4
Middle yellow planet = Mercury 0
Least bright golden planet = Saturn +1
Saludos, Doug
PS all this happens basically in Cancer, with Comet LINEAR 2005-K2 (the one
that split by itself and gave the same show as Terra-Tempel 1 probably
will:). I say Terra-Temple 1 because it obviously will now be a "comet" partly
composed of copper from Earth). K2 is currently the brightest comet in the sky
at 9 th magnitude. K2 is 100 times brighter than expected agter the
"natural" explosion. NASA and we can hope for a repeat performance on Tempel, which
would make it a nice binocular object at 5th magnitude, but lets not count
our comets before they hatch...
Received on Mon 20 Jun 2005 04:39:50 PM PDT