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Guru

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Mercury Transits the Sun May 9

05/08/2016 8:44 AM

http://www.space.com/32827-mercury-transit-2016-huge-science-astronomy.html

(Please be careful and only view sun with appropriate filter or projection telescope)

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Guru

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#1

Re: Mercury Transits the Sun May 9

05/08/2016 12:33 PM

View of Mercury through Ye olde Teleskopos ....

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#6
In reply to #1

Re: Mercury Transits the Sun May 9

05/09/2016 3:11 AM

Sic transit Gloria...

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#2

Re: Mercury Transits the Sun May 9

05/08/2016 2:37 PM

I only look at night

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#3

Re: Mercury Transits the Sun May 9

05/08/2016 3:52 PM
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#4
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Re: Mercury Transits the Sun May 9

05/08/2016 6:08 PM

Mercury will just be a small black dot, so even using the projection method the viewer will probably need sunglasses to minimize the glare, in order to see Mercury. I hope to get a photo using a 300 mm lens and a special solar filter I bought.

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#5
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Re: Mercury Transits the Sun May 9

05/08/2016 6:39 PM

I have a SunSpotter I plan to use. It didn't help for the Venus transit--nothing but clouds that day.

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#8
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Re: Mercury Transits the Sun May 9

05/09/2016 8:39 PM

I could just barely see Mercury (I think) with the SunSpotter. There was also a much larger sunspot visible.

We had very slight overcast which reduced the contrast and made it difficult. At times the tiny spot which I believe was Mercury would disappear from sight, but when I jiggled the scope a little bit, it reappeared as it moved. It's interesting how the eye is more sensitive to motion.

I had my camera but there was no way I could get a picture, much less a good focus.

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#7

Re: Mercury Transits the Sun May 9

05/09/2016 11:58 AM

Temporary hole in the clouds. Got this shot about an hour ago.

It's the faint dot left and slightly above center.

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