Mercury Transit

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Mercury is passing between us and the sun!

https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1193886904594436101

Thick cloud here and I don't know what specialised instruments you'd need to see this without blinding yourself. I don't suppose anyone in the UKC massif is observing the transition?

In reply to Phantom Disliker:

> Mercury is passing between us and the sun!

> Thick cloud here and I don't know what specialised instruments you'd need to see this without blinding yourself. I don't suppose anyone in the UKC massif is observing the transition?

Unfortunately not .

As a slight deviation .  It makes me think of the scene from "Sunshine" I love that scene .  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYKq1qfdmWk&safe=true

It's a good film too,  gets a little lost in what it what it wants to be , but great all the same .

Enjoy.

TWS

cb294 11 Nov 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

Thick cloud cover here as well, unfortunately, as I even brought my spotting scope to work.
As for equipment you only need binoculars and a piece of white paper. Point the binoculars at the sun but DO NOT LOOK THROUGH the oculars as you do so. Then just hold a piece of paper behind the ocular and move it back and forth until you get an in focus projection of the sun.

Worked great for the Venus transit a couple years ago.

CB

PS: To be clear, you look at the side of the paper illuminated by the sun, with your back to the sun. Looking through the paper will likely still be too bright.

 graeme jackson 11 Nov 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

8 inch celestron reflector with genuine solar filter now sitting unused at the top of the garden cos it's pissing down with no chance of a break in the clouds before dark   quite disappointing.  Next chance will be 2032.

 Tom Valentine 11 Nov 2019
In reply to cb294:

I understand the technique but am wondering about the size of the sun's image on your sheet of paper ( and by extension, the size of Mercury's black dot in transit).

Post edited at 15:46
cb294 11 Nov 2019
In reply to Tom Valentine:

You can move the paper further away if you play with focus. I ended up with an in focus image the size of a Euro coin, with Venus as a nice and clear black dot in front. Mercury would be smaller, but I am sure still visible, as the contrast is so high. Anyway, it is aready getting dark here in Germany, and the clouds did not break all day. 

CB

 McHeath 11 Nov 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

> Mercury is passing between us and the sun!

Typical Freddy, can't keep out of the limelight.

Lusk 11 Nov 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

Me mate was all scoped up ready to watch ...
This: https://www.timeanddate.com/live/ is the best we're going to get.

In reply to Lusk:

It's tiny. How we detect this happening on other stars is remarkable.

Edit: The music on your link is driving me round the bend!

Post edited at 21:49
 wercat 11 Nov 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

I got pictures of the transit of Venus in 2004(?)

Nearly melted the telescope though, good job it was a cheap Aldi one

 wercat 11 Nov 2019
In reply to Tom Valentine:

the image is big enough to see sunspots, few at the moment sadly for HF propagation, and it doesn't even have to be a particularly clear day as long as you can find the sun

I got my image by taking a photo of my hand holding the paper

 JCurrie 11 Nov 2019
In reply to Phantom Disliker:

I have a photo of the May 2016 transit. I just held the camera of an iPad up to the eyepiece of a  6” reflector but it worked really well.

It was great to watch the transit over the course of a warm afternoon. Made a change from the usual freezing cold star and planet gazing for sure.

 Tom Valentine 11 Nov 2019
In reply to wercat:

Yes a couple of sites I was looking at suggested you should only use your cheapest eyepiece for that reason. I don't think I'd risk any of my new toys for such a very minimal gain.


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