12 February 2013 - Mercury and the Moon

It occurs to me that I may be turning into a science nerd or a gotta- know geek or something. Last night Jack and I drove to the Churchill Jr. High parking lot which has a great unobstructed view of the Salt Lake Valley. 

On the agenda was sky watching. Under a thumbnail crescent moon we were supposed to be able to see Mercury, and with binoculars, Mars was supposed to be visible one degree away from Mercury. How cool is that? 

Turns out it was very cool. Downright chilly. With temps in the teens, 13 to be exact, we sat in the car for almost an hour watching the sun set, the moon appear, and finally as the sky darkened, Mercury showed up. 

The moon was amazing. Even with that tiny sliver of light, the rest of the moon was visible, nestled in the cradle.

 

When Mercury appeared, I was surprised that it was not quite as bright as I expected. The little pinprick of light in the center of this photo is Mercury. Mars was nowhere to be seen. Even with binoculars.

Here's the funny part. As we pulled back into our driveway, the moon and Mercury were visible over our house. Mercury is just over the roof line--and in the increasingly dark sky, the planet really sparkled. It was so cold and so clear that the stars were like shards of crystal. Breathtaking.

I am so lucky that Jack indulges me in all my odd passions. Whether it is following an insect around the yard, birdwatching, stargazing--I always have a willing companion in my adventures.