Mercury Transit
- Dave S
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Mercury Transit
I changed weekend plans and accommodations and found someone to help care for a family member so that I could be home on Monday morning to try for a transit photo.
The alarm went off at 6am and I went to the window and saw thick fog. Felt torn by astroimaging drive and warm bed with hugs, back to bed for another hour. Got up again and couldn't see across the valley with the transit halfway through. Made coffee, breakfast, watched the news, it was still socked in. Decided to set up the solar telescope just in case I got lucky. Still cloudy with little of the transit remaining.
I pointed the scope at the brighter area in the clouds and went back inside. Looked online and saw that Mercury was almost to the limn. I took another look through the eyepiece and saw the clouds smoking by, then a glimpse of the solar disc, focused frantically and tried to tune the filter, more clouds, then another glimpse of the disc and I saw the dark speck of Mercury, raced inside and grabbed the camera, got another cloudy window to half-focus, another window to tune the filter, another window for a little more focus while adjusting the exposure up and down to see through the clouds. At 9:57am PST started recording short clips and at 10:00am I got one good enough to make an image.
Whew! Not as good as I was hoping for, but thankful to get a picture of this rare event.
The alarm went off at 6am and I went to the window and saw thick fog. Felt torn by astroimaging drive and warm bed with hugs, back to bed for another hour. Got up again and couldn't see across the valley with the transit halfway through. Made coffee, breakfast, watched the news, it was still socked in. Decided to set up the solar telescope just in case I got lucky. Still cloudy with little of the transit remaining.
I pointed the scope at the brighter area in the clouds and went back inside. Looked online and saw that Mercury was almost to the limn. I took another look through the eyepiece and saw the clouds smoking by, then a glimpse of the solar disc, focused frantically and tried to tune the filter, more clouds, then another glimpse of the disc and I saw the dark speck of Mercury, raced inside and grabbed the camera, got another cloudy window to half-focus, another window to tune the filter, another window for a little more focus while adjusting the exposure up and down to see through the clouds. At 9:57am PST started recording short clips and at 10:00am I got one good enough to make an image.
Whew! Not as good as I was hoping for, but thankful to get a picture of this rare event.
- MAURITS
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Re: Mercury Transit
Well done!!! I love these stories more than the transit why does it take 20 hours longer to find on band and focus when time is ticking
That is a superb shot and great memento
Alexandra
That is a superb shot and great memento
Alexandra
- marktownley
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Re: Mercury Transit
Lovely scope and transit image
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- eroel
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Re: Mercury Transit
Dave:
Well you got the transit all right and a beautiful instrument.
Regards,
Eric.
Well you got the transit all right and a beautiful instrument.
Regards,
Eric.
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Re: Mercury Transit
Dave:
Nice pic and certainly an awesome scope!!
James
Nice pic and certainly an awesome scope!!
James
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Re: Mercury Transit
I feel your frustration, just getting those tantalising little glimpses every so often to get things set up with precious time ticking by. The event waits for no one, ready or not.
Lovely image of the final stages. Nice scope too.
Stu.
Lovely image of the final stages. Nice scope too.
Stu.
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Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
- ffellah
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Re: Mercury Transit
Love the shot, love the story.
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Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
Huge Sense of Adventure Viewing Creation
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Re: Mercury Transit
Well done !
Christian Viladrich
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Re: Mercury Transit
A challenging effort, but glad to see you managed to get a great image in the end!!!
Brian
Brian
Brian Colville
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Maple Ridge Observatory
Cambray, ON Canada
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/185395281@N08/albums
10'x15 Roll-off Roof Observatory
Takahashi EM400 Mount carrying:
C14 + Lunt 80ED
Deep Sky Work - ASI294MM Pro+EFW 7x36/Canon 60D (Ha mod), ONAG
Planetary Work - SBIG CFW10, ASI462MM
2.2m Diameter Dome
iOptron CEM70G Mount carrying:
Orion EON 130ED, f7 OTA for Day & Night Use
Ha Setup: Lunt LS80PT/LS75FHa/B1200Ha + Home Brew Lunt Double Stack/B1800Ha on the Orion OTA + Daystar Quantum
WL, G-Band & CaK Setup: Lunt Wedge & Lunt B1800CaK, Baader K-Line and Altair 2nm G-Band filter
ASI1600MM, ASI432MM, ASI294MM Pro, ASI174MM, ASI462MM