Moon & Mercury

To get a look at the western horizon I have to drive 1/2 mile down the road to a clear cut area and it was worth the drive last night. Not only was it a lovely sunset but I was able to spot the moon only 30 hours past new and MERCURY. Glad I brought the binoculars, but after a little bit I was able to see the moon with just my eyes and then, finally, the tiny brightness of Mercury. I liked the look enough I continued the sky tour with dog a mile and a half in the other direction to another good viewing spot and spotted them again. The humidity was down so the air was not bad at 9:00 but mosquitoes made the viewing time short, still, glad I took the drive. If I've ever seen the moon that thin, I couldn't remember when, it was soooooo thin, just a hint of a moon but spectacular. Tonight it will still be very thin and hard to spot until close to 9, but, like it does every night, it will have moved 12 degrees higher in the sky and be easier to spot below the evening star, Venus - which unlike Mercury is not hard to see in the early evening sky. If you wait until 9:30 to venture out you should be able to spot the stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux to the lower right of Venus, above and right of the moon. Mercury will be gone by then but turning not quite 90 degrees left it will be easy to spot bright Jupiter, high up in the south, hanging out with the not so bright stars of Libra. Going out a couple of hours later and Saturn will be up in the east above the teapot of Sagittarius, Mars up a little later still is the red spot in Capricorn. Mars, as we continue to catch up with it, will be both close to the sun and Earth in the later summer and be in position for the best telescope viewing in 15 years (but, no, contrary to what people will post on line, will not be "as big as the full moon" then - or EVER).
It's a coolish, low humidity day here in Virginia, I plan on getting out and enjoying the brief respite from the summer muggies...they will be back with a vengeance by Monday, but without any chance of rain until next Wednesday. Use the clear sky to do some star and planet viewing, Today on Earth.