Last views of Mercury Setting
Taken by Peter Lowenstein on July 2, 2026 @
Mutare, Zimbabwe
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: Unavailable
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Details:
Mercury is a notoriously difficult planet to observe due to its small size and proximity to the Sun. This means that it is a tiny speck in the sky which is overwhelmed by light from the Sun even at maximum elongation (distance from the Sun). The most recent maximum elongation of Mercury was on 15th June. Since that date Mercury has receded towards the local horizon and become more difficult to see. Clear sky with good visibility on 2nd July has provided what may be a last chance to photograph the planet disappearing below the horizon to the W.N.W of Mutare. This is shown in the accompanying time-lapse animation and still images. These were captured using 4 second exposures at high magnification and sensitivity (ISO 400) by pointing the camera in the direction of where sky charts indicated Mercury was supposed to be. Patience, persistence and guesswork were required as it could not be seen with the naked eye. Camera: Tripod-mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 in manual exposure mode.
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