twilight

The young crescent moon occulted Mercury today...as seen from the mountains of southern New Mexico.

First photo is a telephoto shot of the moon only a minute after it uncovered our innermost planet. This was taken in bright twilight as a wind and dust storm was easing up.

Second photo is a wider angle shot ten minutes later that includes Venus in the bottom third of the frame. The evening twilight sky colors are pallid because of the dust storm clouds billowing a mile below me on the floor of the Tularosa basin.

#Mercury #Moon #Crescent #Occult #Occultation #Astronomy #Twilight #Evening #Photography #Astrophotography

The twilight sky is a medium blue while the crescent moon is a bright gray. Mercury is the overexposed white dot near the left horn of the crescent moon. Some crater and terrain detail is visible on the moon. Twilight is still so bright that we can't yet see earthshine on the rest of the moon's disk.

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The evening twilight sky as a dust storm is easing up. The colors are subdued and the nearby trees are blurred in the exposure as they whip back and forth in the strong wind. Venus is visible below the crescent moon, about 1/3 of the way up from the very bottom of the frame. Mercury is visible next to the crescent moon.

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