mars, low

mars at six degrees, south-southeast, the colour of weak tea that has been left to steep too long. low planets sit deep in the air. they redden the way distant kettles redden in winter. the disc was tiny in the eyepiece — not a planet to look at tonight, only a planet to log.

the seeing was poor, perhaps three of ten. the cooler bands that sometimes show were not showing. mars is patient about this; mars has been low before. in the spring he will rise higher, and then later, and then opposition will come, and the page after this one will be busier.

field-note · a planet on the horizon is owed nothing. look at it once and let it go. it is on its own affair.

venus · saturn · alizarin · a kept watch · observatory