[Launch Alert] Mercury Visible

[Brian Webb]

                            LAUNCH ALERT

			          Brian Webb
		         Ventura County, California
		        E-mail: kd6nrp at earthlink.net
	         Web Site: http://www.spacearchive.info

				            2005 March 12 (Saturday) 08:08 PST
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                           MERCURY VISIBLE

Weather permitting, suitably placed observers can catch a glimpse of
the solar system's innermost planet during the next few evenings.
Mercury attains its greatest angular separation from the Sun today at
10:00 PST (18:00 UTC) and should be visible very low in the west at
dusk.

To see the elusive planet, look about 30 minutes after sunset from
location free from haze with an unobstructed western horizon. For
observers in the Southwest, Mercury will be due west and 10° above the
horizon. The planet shines at magnitude -0.2 and should resemble a
semi-bright star.

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                           WEB SITE UPDATE

Several of the editor's photos of last year's Delta II/Gravity Probe B
launch from Vandenberg AFB have been posted online. The location is
www.spacearchive.info/gravity-probe-b.htm.

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Copyright © 2005 Brian Webb. All rights reserved. This newsletter may
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not be reprinted or posted elsewhere without prior permission.