Another 'Mercury Morning'

Six thirty a.m. in the Ozarks and it is another 'Mercury Morning'. That's when the sky is clear, sun starting to come up in the east, and Mercury is strutting his stuff. The air even seems a bit more metallic. This morning was special in that Venus and Saturn joined the show in a nice linear parade up the sky. Venus was high, about 40 degrees or so, followed by Mercury by about 5 degrees, and close by was Saturn, only two and a half degrees (about half a binocular field) from Mercury. I was confused at first since Mercury was quite a bit brighter than Saturn which was just barely visible to my unaided eye. Both Saturn and Mercury were clearly visible in my 8x50's and easy to find but I probably would have missed Saturn without binoculars. It would alternately brighten and dim as the haze boiled on the horizon. If the sky remains clear and I can drag myself out at 6:30 it will be fun to watch Saturn catch up and pass Mercury over the next several days.