2022 Mercury Viewing

[Christopher K.]

Sources are stating that Mercury will have an astounding four elongations this year...
*Friday 7 January
*Friday 29 April
*Saturday 27 August
*Wednesday 21 December

HRPO will host (weather permitting) viewings at the Burbank Soccer Complex for all four elongations!

About the Burbank Soccer Complex...
https://www.brec.org/index.cfm/park/Bur ... cerComplex

[Christopher K.]

Below is the NOAA forecast for HRPO's planned Mecury viewing time of 5pm to 6:30pm at Burbank...
precipitation potential, 0%
sky cover, 20%
relative humidity, 60%
temperature, ˚C
surface wind, N 5 km/h
Danko's Clear Dark Sky states that during HRPO's viewing time the transparency rating will be "above average" (4 out of 5) and the seeing rating will be "average" (3 out of 5).

The 7 January 2022 rating is...
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
BAD
Top

[Christopher K.]

Mercury lovers will have to be patient a little longer. Although the planet is a safe twenty-two degrees from the Sun, the twilight is already too bright right now by the time it rises enough above the horizon to be seen.

[Christopher K.]

The second of four evening Mercurian elongations will take place this Friday evening.

The following stars will appear to the unaided eye at these approximate times...
7:55pm = Sirius
8:10pm = Arcturus, Capella, Rigel
8:15pm = Procyon, Betelgeuse

Mercury will appear to the unaided eye at approximately 8:15pm. HRPO personnel encourage patrons bring binoculars. Personnel will ask that white flashlights and phone lights not be used after 8:25pm.

Beginning at 8:40pm, a magnitude 2.1 visible pass (as predicted by Peat) of an Atlas Centaur will occur. According to Peat, the Centaur-D upper stage was the first liquid hydrogen rocket to reach orbit, launching on 27 November 1963.The Startrack number is 694.

More information:
https://hrpo.lsu.edu//programs/mercury_elongation.html

[Christopher K.]

Below is the NOAA forecast for HRPO's planned Mecury viewing time of 7:30pm to 9pm at Burbank...
precipitation potential, 0%
sky cover, 5%
relative humidity, 59%
temperature, 24˚C
surface wind, S 10 km/h
Danko's Clear Dark Sky states that during HRPO's viewing time the transparency rating will be "above average" (4 out of 5) and the seeing rating will be "average" (3 out of 5).

The 29 April 2022 rating is...
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
POOR

[Christopher K.]

Below is the NOAA forecast for HRPO's planned Mecury viewing time of 6:45pm to 8:15pm at Burbank...
precipitation potential, 28%
sky cover, 73%
relative humidity, 91%
temperature, 27˚C
surface wind, S 8 km/h
Danko's Clear Dark Sky states that during HRPO's viewing time the transparency rating will be "too cloudy to forecast" (0 out of 5) and the seeing rating will be "good" (4 out of 5).

The 27 August 2022 rating is...
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
BAD

Viewing is canceled at the Burbank Soccer Complex.

[Christopher K.]

The fourth and final evening Mercurian Elongation of 2022! HRPO personnel has planned viewing at the Burbank Soccer Complex from 4:45pm to 6:15pm. Below is the NOAA forecast for that time period...
precipitation potential, 1%
sky cover, 91%
relative humidity, 85%
temperature, 12˚C
surface wind, E 3 km/h
Danko's Clear Dark Sky states that during HRPO's viewing time both the transparency rating and the seeing rating will be "too cloudy to forecast" (0 out of 5).

Sunset is at 5:08pm CST. HRPO personnel will attempt for at least the first half-hour to spy Mercury.

More upcoming celestial events with programmed HRPO viewing hours...
https://hrpo.lsu.edu//programs/celestial_events.html

The 21 December 2022 evening Burbank rating is...
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
BAD