As I left my work at the world's largest online service I noticed the beautiful southern California sunset just basking in it's own glow to west. Seeing just how far and how fast Jupiter had pulled away from Venus made me wonder if perhaps our love goddess could use a breath mint or two.
Then I began searching my memory for the words in the calendar section of Sky and Telescope's February edition as to the current Mercury apparition. It was a good one, I remember that. The angle of the ecliptic with the horizon and all that "stuff". IIRC the TAC mailing list mentioned Mercury last week. Could Mercury move so fast that in the ensuing week, if that's what it's been since those TAC messages were posted, to be gone? Vanished like a mug of Guinness and pear cider in my hands? (fosters? nah.)
Venus, Jupiter,... searching, searching, darn I know it was supposed to be lower the Jupiter... how low?... searching searching... what is that "star"??? Beats me... maybe that's it?... Scintillating over there in the SCAQMB approved haze? Drats! Where's Starry Night for my Palm Pilot III when I need it? That must be it? I note the time, 18:15, and the positions of everything. I want to get home and show Kim if it's not too late.
I drove home hoping to beat my "Mercury candidate" to the tree line and show my wife Kim the four planets. We ran out into the street (not quite that cavalier, but you get the idea) and I showed her the view. "Saturn, Venus, Jupiter, and I think Mercury", as I pointed to each one (wary for cars coming up behind us). Neither one of us in our 80 some years combined had ever seen Mercury.
I dashed back inside and confirmed it was Mercury with Starry Night. For a Monday, it made my day!