Venus, the Moon, Jupiter, and Mercury

Last evening there was a truly spectacular sight just about sunset. There was still some color in the sky and the moon was a tiny waxing crescent in the southwest. Higher above the moon was a bright diamond that most of us are familiar with: Venus.It was, as is often the case, the brightest object in the sky. Below the moon, about where the sun set, was the planet Jupiter, in a line drawn from Venus, through the moon and down to Jupiter. Below Jupiter was the planet Mercury. I had never seen Mercury before and would not have seen it this time except I borrowed Hannah's glasses. I had scanned back and forth till I despaired of ever seeing it. I meant to bring the binoculars, but got off without them.
There is only about a 40 minute window where the 3 planets are visible just after sunset and you need a fair view of the horizon. Jupiter was faint, but was pretty quickly located. As the sky darkened and we all searched for the elusive Mercury, it suddenly appeared! Just like that! Suddenly conditions were right and we saw it!
Venus will soon begin it's descent and transition to a morning star in January. Jupiter will soon sink below the horizon and Mercury will disappear also. Mercury is seldom seen as it is so near the sun, so this is a great opportunity. Last night (Dec 29) this beautiful sight was visible in all parts of the globe and according to what I heard, this was a very rare occurrence.
I remember as a child my daddy would often carry me as we walked home from the grandparents house in the evening.Sometimes he would point out objects in the sky. Seven Sisters is one that I remember. It is a cluster in the constellation Orion. I remember Haley's Comet which was tiny and Hale-Bop, which was bigger and lasted quite a few days. I am filing last nights sighting away in a special place in memory.
I hope you can get out tonight and create a wonderful memory for yourself. It's always better if you have someone to share it with.