The Circumnavigation of Mercury

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Venus altitude: 45.4 degrees
Jupiter altitude: 38.0 degrees
angular distance: 7.4 degrees
 
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I'm still able to find slopes steep enough so I can point my clinometer at Venus and Jupiter. I'm monitoring the angle between the two planets.

Venus altitude: 49.4 degrees
Jupiter altitude: 42.3 degrees
Angular distance: 7.1 degrees

...which is down from 7.4 degrees at 21:32 Earthyesterday.

On Mercury, an observer should see all of the planets in retrograde motion at some point in its orbit as it 'overtakes' them. I'll need nine different types of fruit to visualise this in my orrery.
 
(0,168)

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Yes, it's a comfort to know I don't have to mine any materials to keep the scarab going to the end. Might even try a premium repair next time to see how long that lasts.

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(0,169)

Made a premium repair with half a degree to go and lost only 7% of the hull over that distance. Premium repair is not limited by my arsenic stocks, so I have 119 repairs available. I'm judging I won't need too many. Now to find a spot to look at Venus and Jupiter...

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I need a slope of 45 degrees to get the clinometer up above 50 degrees to get the altitude of Venus. Found this one at 09:42.

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Venus altitude: 52 degrees
Jupiter altitude: 45.2 degrees
angular distance: 6.8 degrees

When the circumnavigation is complete I intend to analyse these sightings, taking into account the orbit and revolution of Mercury and my movement over the surface. I want to understand, in particular, the motion of Venus. I didn't expect that this journey would become an exercise in citizen science.
 
(0,171)

So much for premium repair. I was down to 60% in the first 15km from (0,170). Reverted to cheap and cheerful basic repair.

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I don't need to mine iron and nickel, but if a source lies in my path, why not?

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Funny, when I start each degree I have a little skid that points me West. It's while I'm over-optimistically trying to build up momentum. Trying to improve a new technique I have discovered (I suspect I'm the last person to do this) when I'm in a spin that leaves me facing West. I throw the SRV into reverse and steer left or right as appropriate to swing back on to the desired heading.

 
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