# Planet gazing: Venus, Mercury and Mars **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 4, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933 "2008-09-04T02:33:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933/1 "2008-09-04T02:33:19Z")
Has anyone else been enjoying the view of these three planets in the western sky after sunset for the last couple of days? Mars has been a bit hard to spot, but Venus has been blazing very brightly. [Link to photo from Sydney Observatory](http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads//2008/09/2-sep-b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933/2 "2008-09-04T05:29:41Z")
Thanks for the notice! By coincidence, I happened to be on [Astroviewer](http://www.astroviewer.com/interactive-night-sky-map.php) just before coming here, so noticed that I’ve got about half an hour to get out to a decent local viewpoint for this. The seeing is probably as good as it gets for a big city as well, so I’ll hopefully be able to report back quite soon. Has anyone any idea how often these three planets align to within binocular field of vision? I’m very new to astromomy, but it’s this kind of thing that’s getting me more and more interested. ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933/3 "2008-09-04T07:07:18Z")
That was _excellent_. Not only did I get to see all three planets within the same binocular field of view, but I was able to identify Jupiter, _and_ as the Sun dipped below the horizon, I saw the ‘Green Flash’ for the first time as well! From the point at which Venus was first visible with binoculars to when Mars (the faintest of the three) could be seen with the naked eye took maybe half an hour or so. A memorable evening to round off my first day of posting on the SDMB since 2005! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933/4 "2008-09-04T07:14:07Z")
> [@Ferris](#): > > That was _excellent_. I’m pleased to hear it. Where are you **Ferris**? New Zealand? Sunset here is in about half an hour, but it’s cloudy this evening in Sydney, so I doubt we’ll see anything very much. ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933/5 "2008-09-04T09:46:03Z")
Yes, I’m a Kiwi. I just checked that Astroviewer site for Sydney and it looks as if the three planets will stay close together for a few days yet for you. So here’s hoping you get clear skies soon. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933/6 "2008-09-04T11:41:44Z")
Fat chance of ever seeing Mercury here in Atlanta. The only thing I miss about West Texas is the clear night sky, with a flat horizon. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933/7 "2008-09-05T00:25:28Z")
> [@Ferris](#): > > So here’s hoping you get clear skies soon. Not last night, and probably not this evening either, by the looks of the gloomy day outside. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933/8 "2008-09-18T23:55:02Z")
Another fantastic view yesterday evening! Venus and Mercury were very clear, with Mars a bit fainter, but still quite visible. The three of them, together with Spica, formed a rough diamond shape in the western sky. And there was the added bonus of Jupiter blazing away overhead too. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-gazing-venus-mercury-and-mars/461933/9 "2008-09-19T09:00:31Z")
Ah, I wish I’d taken our telescope down to Cork when we went off on holidays, such clear nights ☹