The Moon, Venus and Mercury play in the sky – 22 & 24 May 2020
These last evenings, at sunset, the sky was enlightened by the beauty of the Moon, Venus and Mercury. We captured a few images of that unique show and are pleased to share them with...
Tagged: Mercury
The 11 November 2019 Mercury transit : online observing session
Next 11 November 2019, the sky will offer us a truly spectacular and rare astronomical event: a transit of planet Mercury in front of the Sun. The Virtual Telescope will share it live, online:...
Mercury – Mars close conjunction: some thoughts and images (18 June 2019)
It is always great to see two planets sharing the same spot in the sky. A few days ago, just after sunset, it was possible to admire a Mercury – Mars close conjunction, with...
When the Moon, Mercury and Mars meet above Rome… the show is guaranteed! – 5 June 2019
These evenings, planet Mercury is back at sunset, peaking at magnitude -1 or so. The young Moon and Mars added their beauty last night, so I managed to capture a few images. With the...
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. The last days of February and the...
An epic Grand Tour: all the Eight planets seen on the same night, above the legendary monuments of Rome – 28 & 29 Aug. 2018
I have been thinking about this for decades: see and hopefully image all the planets of our Solar System in one night, from sunset to dawn. And I did it, last night, in a...
The Moon, Mercury and Venus meet, while waiting for the longest total lunar eclipse of the Century
While we are waiting for the longest total lunar eclipse of the Century, the Moon, Mercury and Venus offered a stunning show above Rome, soon after sunset. It is a wonderful gift, while the...
The Moon, Venus and Mercury bring Spring to the northern hemisphere (19 March 2018)
Last March, Venus and Mercury were both visible at sunset; the Moon joined the couple with its sharp crescent, offering a stunning view at twilight. Here they are a couple of images. The image...
Venus and Mercury meet at sunset: a stunning view from Rome – 14 Mar. 2018
These days, at sunset, you can enjoy a stunning couple up there: planets Venus and Mercury, shining for a while in the twilight. Here they are a few images we captured from Rome. At...
The Moon and Mercury shine above Rome at sunset – 25 July 2017.
The Moon and Mercury, the innermost planet of our Solar System, had a great meeting these past hours. Here I present some shots capturing this exclusive show, hanging over the skyline in Rome. Clouds...
The Five Planets are back: see all of them at a glance, next August 2016
This 2016 has been, so far, particularly generous with us, considering the visibility of the planets. Last Feb., we had all the five,classic planets visible at a glance, providing a stunning planetary parade. It...
The 9 May 2016 transit of Mercury : online observing session
Next 9 May 2016, the sky will offer us a truly spectacular and rare astronomical event: a transit of planet Mercury in front of the Sun. This is the first of these transits after the...
The Moon, Venus and Mercury: a sublime meeting – 6 Feb. 2016
All images are © by Gianluca Masi. Do not use without permission. These mornings, as you know, there is a stunning show up in the sky: all the five, naked-eye planets are visible at a...
The nights of the five planets: images of a spectacular and rare astronomical show – 1-2 Feb. 2016.
All images are © by Gianluca Masi. Do not use without permission. These nights (well, I should say these mornings!), the sky is offering an amazing and rare event: all the “historic” five, naked eye...
