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:



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



Cropped sections.
The first taken about 1 p.m. local time:

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:

The position of the Sunspot has moved slightly with the rotation of the Sun.
Mercury has moved further as it transits across the Sun.