Venus, Jupiter and Mars in the Morning 10/25/15

Prominent Jupiter and Venus with dimmer Mars

Mars, Jupiter and Venus at higher magnification

Mercury

Jupiter and Venus 9:45 AM

Mars, Jupiter and Venus 10/19/2015

   The early morning planets presented another photo op this morning.

Venus, Jupiter and Mars

Cropped photo shows Jupiter's moon Ganymede and star Chi Leo

  Hours earlier as seen from Japan, Mars occulted the 4.5 magnitude star Chi Leo.  Below is a link posted on spaceweather dot com that shows the occultation.
GIF of Mars Occulting Chi Leo

Moon and Planets October 10 and 11, 2015

  A photogenic grouping of four naked eye planets plus the last days of an old crescent moon greeted early risers or (as in my case) those pulling an all-nighter, on the past Saturday and Sunday mornings.

  In the first photo brilliant Venus is to the uppermost right side.  Above the Moon are Jupiter and dimmer Mars to its upper right.  Mercury, to the lower left of the Moon is difficult to see in the first photo shows up a little better in the cropped second photo.

  The next morning the moon slipped down a little lower and serves as a guide to the elusive innermost planet Mercury. 

  A bigger lens isolates the pair and makes them much easier to see.