A glipse of Mercury above Rome – 28 Feb. 2019
Looking for the elusive planet Mercury is always a rewarding experience. Here it is the innermost planet at sunset, hanging above Rome, beside the St. Peter’s Basilica.
Planet Mercury slowly sets in Rome beside St. Peter’s Basilica – 28 Feb. 2019
The last days of February and the first ones of March offer the opportunity to see Mercury at its best, soon after sunset. I managed to look for this planet, as I always try to observe it every time it is well placed in our sky.
To capture the planet, I decided to go almost to the same place from where I imaged the International Space Station the same morning, that is close to Castel Sant’Angelo. From there, I calculated I could see Mercury beside the St. Peter’s Basilica, with its celebrated Dome, with the Tiber river on the foreground.
As always, I used one of my Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR bodies with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens on my lighter tripod.
I must say I’m very happy with the resulting view: Mercury is well visible in the center, as the brightest object in the sky.
Looking forward to the show!
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