Jupiter is a few degrees above and to the left of Mercury in this picture taken shortly after sunset. Mercury never strays far from the Sun, and when it is visible just after sunset, a good view to the west in needed to see it.

Image details:  1/5 second exposure at ISO 1600, taken with a Canon 400D camera at a focal length of 49 mm. Image processing with ImagesPlus and Photoshop.

March 13, 2011