niteskys.com - Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter - December 2006
 
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Movie Data

GIF animation derived from cropped image data below.

See individual images for specific image data.

Equipment Used

Nikon D70s

Processing Tools

ImageReady CS

 
Animation of Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter.

 
The short animation shows the planets Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter and their movement in the morning sky over five mornings.  On December 10, the planets made a striking scene when they were less than a one degree apart. 

 
 
 
 
 

 

Image Data

70mm @ f4.5
ISO400, 1/4 second
6:27 AM MST, 12/13/06
Mead, Colorado

Equipment Used

Nikon D70s

Processing Tools

Photoshop CS

 
Image of Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter on the morning of December 13, 2006.


Three mornings after closet approach.  Mercury continues it move towards the horizon.  Jupiter is widening the gap between itself and Mars.  The planets in order from top to bottom are Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury.

 
 
 
 
 

 

Image Data

70mm @ f4.5
ISO400, 1/4 second
6:27 AM MST, 12/12/06
Mead, Colorado

Equipment Used

Nikon D70s

Processing Tools

Photoshop CS

 
Image of Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter on the morning of December 12, 2006.


Two mornings after closet approach.  Mercury is now rapidly leaving the morning sky leaving Jupiter and Mars behind.  The planets in order from top to bottom are Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury.

 
 
 
 
 

 

Image Data

70mm @ f4.5
ISO400, 1/4 second
6:27 AM MST, 12/10/06
Mead, Colorado

Equipment Used

Nikon D70s

Processing Tools

Photoshop CS

 
Image of Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter on the morning of December 10, 2006.


The morning of closest approach.  The planets in order from top to bottom are Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter.

 
 
 
 
 

 

Image Data

70mm @ f4.5
ISO400, 1/4 second
6:27 AM MST, 12/09/06
Mead, Colorado

Equipment Used

Nikon D70s

Processing Tools

Photoshop CS

 
Image of Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter on the morning of December 9, 2006.


One day before closest approach.  The planets in order from top to bottom are Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter.

 
 
 
 
 

 

Image Data

70mm @ f4.5
ISO400, 1/4 second
6:27 AM MST, 12/08/06
Mead, Colorado

Equipment Used

Nikon D70s

Processing Tools

Photoshop CS

 
Image of Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter on the morning of December 8, 2006.

<click on image for 50% resolution - 800K>

Two days before closest approach.  The planets in order from top to bottom are Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter. 

This page was referenced in the Astronomy Picture Of the Day (APOD) for December 9, 2006 as the link "before sunrise".

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  Unless otherwise noted, images and site content copyright © 2006, 2008 Richard McCoy
 
08/14/2008
 

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