Mercury-farewell!
Clear sky behind Christmas Pass after a subdued volcanic sunset on Good Friday provided what may be the last view of Mercury setting on top of the northern slope of the pass. Mercury has proved to be very difficult to observe setting during the period around maximum elongation from the Sun on the 24th due to its small size, late volcanic sunset glare and variable amounts cloud in the vicinity. On this occasion four more images were captured ‘blind’ without seeing any sign of the planet either with the naked eye or in the camera view-finder. On close examination these show the final portion of its descent towards the horizon between 6.16 and 6.18 pm. As Mercury will rapidly dim in the next few days and the weather is set to become cloudier, this is likely to be the last chance to bid it farewell!

Tripod-mounted Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS90 in night scenery mode.

Compilation of two composite images with minimal application of Star Spikes Pro filter to make Mercury more clearly visible.