This years best conjunction yet!

On Sunday and Monday nights next (June 26th and 27th), keep your fingers crossed for clear skies! The best conjunction of planets in a long time will take place.
From around 10pm when the sky begins to darken nicely, you will see a tiny cluster of planets - Mercury, Venus, and Saturn - in the evening twilight. All 3 will lie within a 2 degree field of view on both nights. Mercury is currently catching up to Venus, and overtakes it on the 27th. Saturn just happens to be in the way at the time!

This will be a fantastic photo opportunity if you are able to. Or, if like me, you don't have the kind of camera equipment to take a snap, get yourself a clipbaord and pencil, and draw what you see at the eyepiece. In any telescope with a relatively low power eyepiece, you will see all 3 planets! (by relatively, I mean choose your best eyepiece for your scope that would give you almost 1.5 Moons in its field of view)

Good luck, and hope we have clear skies!

Seanie.

Thanks for the heads up,
I think a trip up to Cratloe hill might be needed for this, presuming its clear of course

I was out and about last night and just managed to catch Venus and Mercury in a pair of 8X21's at 11pm about 4degrees above horizon. Did not get Saturn due to clouds...Hopefully we will get clear skies for this on 26th/27th

Hi all, I plan on getting a shot of this if the clouds disappear, I think the weather should actually be not too bad this weekend

Keith..

had a go again tonight,still no luck with saturn. Venus and Mercury made a nice pair though..anybody have any luck

I managed to see one of them last night in between strands of cloud at around 22:30hrs. Don't know which planet it was because I couldn't get the scope onto it in time before it was covered by cloud, but by its brightness, was it Venus and/or Mercury?

I hope its clear this evening to have another look, its supposed to be the best night of the 2. I've got my clipboard and 3B pencil ready!

Seanie.