Tuesday 10 May 2016

Mercury / Sun Transit

Yesterday was one of those rare occasions where the Earth, Mercury and the Sun lined up so that Mercury could be seen as a tiny dark blob as it came between the Sun and the Earth. As we had virtually clear skies here I had to have a go at photographing the event.

Firstly it should be noted that you should not point a camera or look directly at the Sun without a filter designed for that purpose otherwise both could be damaged beyond repair very quickly. This is the Canon fitted with a solar filter which cuts down the received light about 10,000 times:

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On to the photographs.
Even with a 400mm lens the Sun only takes up a small part of the view:

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Cropped sections.
The first taken about 1 p.m. local time:
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There are two blobs to see.
The tiny planet Mercury is near the edge of the Sun about 9 o'clock.
The other is Sunspot number 2542.

This view was taken about 2.45 p.m. local time:
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The position of the Sunspot has moved slightly with the rotation of the Sun.
Mercury has moved further as it transits across the Sun.

8 comments:

  1. I was wondering if you got it. A job well done.

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    Replies
    1. Adrian: Mercury is so small it took a while to work out whether I had managed to get it.

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  2. Replies
    1. Frank: Thank you. At least I remembered to have a go this time.

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  3. Replies
    1. Simon: For once clear skies gave me a chance.

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  4. Replies
    1. Wilma: Thank you. I like the occasional challenge.

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Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Any comment, or correction to any information or identification I get wrong, is most welcome. John

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