Comments on: Mercury transits the Sun

By: Troy

Troy — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 08:57:48 +0000

It was overcast here, got a view of blue for about 2 minutes so I think I managed to spot it by projecting the sun onto paper. The Venus transit 2 years ago was definently more conspicuous, I had better weather too.

By: Dave Kary

Dave Kary — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 05:26:38 +0000

Lovely day here in southern California, and we set up telescopes at our college to show off the transit. I had lots of fun saying “No, it’s not that big dot. That’s a sunspot. It’s the smaller round dot just below it.” No matter how many times we talk about the scales of objects in the universe, there is nothing like letting them see it with their own eyes.

By: FirstStep » Blog Archive » Mercury transits the sun

FirstStep » Blog Archive » Mercury transits the sun — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 05:15:07 +0000

[...] The reason for the box today is that Mercury is transiting the sun. The entire trip takes about five hours, during which the cute tiny little bitty dot of Mercury (see pic) travels from one edge of the sun to the other. Yes, it’s very difficult to see Mercury in that picture. It’s only a small planet, after all. If you click on the image to the left you’ll get a larger picture where it’s easier to make out that dot. [...]

By: Melusine

Melusine — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 05:14:59 +0000

…that should be “without singeing your retina.” Grrr, I hate typos – maybe I need glasses – I think the glare hurts my eyes.

By: Evolving Squid

Evolving Squid — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 05:04:36 +0000

Was cloudy all day where I am. Bummer. Had the telescope ready to go too.

By: Wayne

Wayne — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 04:34:57 +0000

I had a good time today hosting a transit viewing. I used an 8″ Celestron and a small refractor that belong to my University. We don’t have a camera adapter, but I did snap a few shots through the eyepiece with my digital camera. I put a couple of pictures up at
http://members.cox.net/keithfiles/PB080800.JPG
and
http://members.cox.net/keithfiles/PB080803.JPG

By: Melusine

Melusine — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:54:05 +0000

I’m still thinking about the Mercury transit…it’s the first event of this kind I’ve been able to see through my solar telescope. The PST makes the Sun appear a solid pinkish-red, so any spot on the surface looks like something special. What looked to be a mere fleck on the lens was a planet orbiting!…I mean, here we are this collection of atoms down here, or across here, however you want to describe space and time, and there’s all this stuff happening out there in the universe that I can see with my own eyes for a mere $500. That’s quite a bargain – to see the Sun showing off Mercury, eating comets, throwing out coronal mass ejections…without singing your retina…for $500…plus tax. Remarkable.

OK, I’m a total Solar Sycophant. (-8~

By: Melusine

Melusine — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 23:19:23 +0000

Spaceweather has a very easy animated chart to see where it’s at, at what time. Mercury was right where they said it would be at 5:00 pm CST.
http://spaceweather.com/

By: Melusine

Melusine — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 23:14:42 +0000

Cool!! I got home from class and just got through watching it through my PST…it looks like a black mole moving off to the right. It’s getting hard to see now since the sun is going down below rooftops – wish I was on a skycraper. Gorgeous day here, we were lucky. I enjoyed that! Little Mercury buzzing around…

By: Tom K

Tom K — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 19:51:33 +0000

Clear here in Tulsa. I’m at work so I just went out for a few minutes and set up my telescope by my vehicle. Nice distinct black dot, but tiny. I’ll check back again from time to time until sunset, I guess.

By: antaresrichard

antaresrichard — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 18:18:18 +0000

Oh joy! Can that be? I see skies of blue! And I think to myself: “What a mercurial world!”

By: Matt Carson

Matt Carson — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:50:49 +0000

Hey all,

I was watching Daily Planet last night (show on the Discovery Channel) and they mentioned they are having a LIVE webcast of the Transit today.

I just checked the website out, and they have a feed from a Arizona observatory.

If any of you are interested check it out here:

http://discoverychannel.ca/mercury/live/

I hope the weather clears so I can see it with my own equipment though!!

Cheers,

Matt

By: Kyle_Carm

Kyle_Carm — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 15:57:09 +0000

Beautiful clear sky Jackson, WY is have a warm cloudy, rainy day Yea for the net.

By: Gary Ansorge

Gary Ansorge — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 15:24:23 +0000

Bummer! Rain, clouds, and Republican governors abound here in Georgia. Ah well, glad we have the internet. What an incredible invention.

GAry 7

By: Michelle Rochon

Michelle Rochon — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 13:39:07 +0000

It’s overcast here! I’m so bummed. I really wanted to see it with my own eyes.

I had even planned to skip out of work for a few minutes!

By: Melusine

Melusine — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 13:18:37 +0000

I’m bummed…I have a training class from 1:00 to 4:00 today and I have a solar telescope. Hmm, maybe there will be a bad accident tying up traffic on the West Loop… [evil grin]

By: A Ler…-- Rastos de Luz

A Ler…-- Rastos de Luz — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 10:56:08 +0000

[...] “Mercury transits the Sun“, no Bad Astronomy. [...]

By: antaresrichard

antaresrichard — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 08:49:58 +0000

Holy cow!

Sorry about that!

By: antaresrichard

antaresrichard — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 08:42:17 +0000

Back then, I was on my way home, intent on viewing the celestial phenomena, and absent-mindedly passing a downtown theatre when, out of the blue, my attention span was concussed and eclipsed by the name of that night’s stellar luminary emblazoned on the marquee*.

Alas, only after emerging from the dark of the ticket office sometime later and looking at my watch, did I realize my horror. Bitter irony indeed was the fact that the same unused binoculars set aside for the safe viewing of Mercury, would next be employed to discern the teeny, tiny speck transiting the stage.

Now, seven years out with a chance to redeem myself, I learn heavy weather is expected blanket our area . Excuse me while I – OUCH!!

*The name of the artist shall remain anonymous. More than this I dare not say.

By: antaresrichard

antaresrichard — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 08:39:54 +0000

Now, seven years out with a chance to redeem myself, I learn heavy weather is expected blanket our area . Excuse me while I – OUCH!!

*The name of the artist shall remain anonymous. More than this I dare not say.

By: antaresrichard

antaresrichard — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 08:37:01 +0000

Ouch! I just kicked myself remembering the November 15th, 1999 transit of Mercury. It was a beautiful, clear day but I entirely missed the tiny planet’s “graze” of the solar disc! And all on account of a star of the glam-rock variety.
Back then, I was on my way home, intent on viewing the celestial phenomena, and absent-mindedly passing a downtown theatre when, out of the blue, my attention span was concussed and eclipsed by the name of that night’s stellar luminary emblazoned on the marquee*.
Alas, only after emerging from the dark of the ticket office sometime later and looking at my watch, did I realize my horror. Bitter irony indeed was the fact that the same unused binoculars set aside for the safe viewing of Mercury, would next be employed to discern the teeny, tiny speck transiting the stage.
Now, seven years out with a chance to redeem myself, I learn heavy weather is expected blanket our area . Excuse me while I – OUCH!!

*The name of the artist shall remain anonymous. More than this I dare not say.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 03:59:24 +0000

Heavy rain forecast for Wednesday. Of course in NJ we would get less than half before the sun sets. Thank Goodness for the web!

Hey, Hale-Bopp, what ‘scope will you be on? I was a grad student at Dartmouth so was on MDM quite a bit. Will there be any room at McMath-Pierce? I’m guessing it will be a tad crowded.

By: hale_bopp

hale_bopp — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 03:36:20 +0000

I will be at Kitt Peak tomorrow for the transit…I will sneak into see it on the McMath-Pierce while I am there

Rob

By: myronwls

myronwls — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 02:54:59 +0000

My astronomy club was hoping for clear skies here in Western Oregon for the transit
we had schedules a viewing for the public, but we have had heavy rains this week and will most likely be rained out. The entire event would have been visable from here. Hopefully we will have few cloud breaks and see a little of it.

By: Mark Hansen

Mark Hansen — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 01:51:02 +0000

With any luck the weather will be fine enough here (Campbelltown, NSW, Aust.) for me to show the kids at the local school the transit with my ancient 3″ reflector projecting onto a screen. The only hitch: clouds!! We’ve had clear skies for weeks and as soon as I suggest this to the principal, we get rain for the first time in weeks.