Today's Image

Photos! The close Mercury-Venus conjunction

Mercury-Venus, in a darkening sky, annotated.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kit-fun Ho in Shatin, Hong Kong caught the pair on May 28, 2021. He wrote: “It is fortunate for me to have captured in my photo Venus and Mercury conjunction in the west of NW direction of the cloudy city sky. While taking the picture, I can only see Venus which is very much brighter than Mercury. Afterwards, I look up SkySafari software set, which shows that Mercury is approximately at 11 o’clock direction from Venus. And SkySafari software also shows the brightness of Mercury at magnitude-2.1 and Venus at magnitude-3.9. So my photo of this conjunction seems to match SkySafari data.” Thank you, Kit-fun Ho!

Closest Mercury-Venus conjunction until 2033

It hasn’t been easy, but members of the EarthSky community have caught photos of the close Mercury-Venus conjunction going on now in the west after sunset. It’s the closest Mercury-Venus conjunction until November 5, 2033. Venus is bright and easy to see. It’s a few hundred times brighter than Mercury, which is hard to catch in the glow of evening twilight. Watch for them both shortly after sunset. Binoculars will come in handy.

Thanks to all who submitted photos! If you have a photo you’d like to share, please submit it here.

Read more about the Mercury-Venus conjunction here.

Mercury-Venus above a wooded hill with scattered house and street lights.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Helio C. Vital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, caught the pair on May 28, 2021. He wrote: “The image shows Venus and Mercury a few minutes before setting. They were only 0.5 degrees apart and 17 degrees from the sun. Venus was over 200 times brighter than Mercury.” Thank you, Helio!
A twilight sky, with clouds, and the Mercury-Venus conjunction.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mohd Nazam Anuar of the Johor Astronomy Club in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, caught Mercury and Venus on May 29, 2021. He wrote: “A rare and beautiful conjunction of the 2 inner planets.” Thank you, Mohd!
Venus-Mercury above a rooftop, in a city.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Vermont Coronel Jr. in Quezon City, Philippines captured the pair on May 29, 2021. He wrote: “The closest Venus-Mercury conjunction until 2033, as observed from our rooftop at about 33 minutes after sunset.” Thank you, Vermont!

Bottom line: Photos of the Mercury-Venus conjunction.

Posted 
May 30, 2021
 in 
Today's Image

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Deborah Byrd

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