12_MercMars_1.jpg Canon 60Da 70-200mm @ 168mm f/6.4 1.6s ISO 1000br/ 20170918 12 UT Edmonton, Alberta. We got lucky with three clear mornings in a row for the conjunction of Mercury and Mars. Not a surprise to experienced skywatchers, Mars is the fainter of thwo, having just come out of solar conjunction and being on the opposite side of the solar system compared to relatively nearby Mercury. This simple camera on a tripod shot requies only a bit of planning and ability to set up as closely as possible each time - a few cm won't matter. When taken at the exact same local time, the planets are moving to the right quot;followingquot; the Sun. Mercury is dropping down while Mars is moving to the right (south). In this short time frame, one cannot see Mars climbing away from the Sun as easily as in a planetarium program. The three images were then layered in GIMP and composited using quot;lightenquot;.