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Main
Date: 08 Nov 2006 18:15:22
From: Loser
Subject: clear skies and Mercury
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Finally some clear skies to make a movie of the transit here in S. Alberta.
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 20:01:45
From: Loser
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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Clouds moved in just at the wrong time. Can't believe this crap!!
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 12:35:41
From: Starlord
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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Clouds? What Clouds? Not a one out here in the High Mojave Desert.
--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html
"Loser" <loser@tloasy.net > wrote in message
news:JIq4h.48199$P7.34519@edtnps89...
>
> Clouds moved in just at the wrong time. Can't believe this crap!!
>
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 15:03:59
From:
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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Tim Oltrogge wrote:
> "Marty" <movac5@webtv.net> wrote in message
> news:21926-45524650-155@storefull-3332.bay.webtv.net...
> <snip>
> > Mercury shows up very clearly though, along with a dark spot just
> > inside the eastern limb, and a bright spot with a few dark specks inside
> > the western limb.
> > As you might have guessed, I'm not much of a solar observer...
> > Marty
> >
> Got out my Questar, which has solar filters for the finder and the main
> tube. Here in Pittsburgh, PA it was basically cloudy, so I saw nothing of
> the 2:12PM (EST) entrance. About 2:20PM I could see the sun's disk with the
> naked eye *for a few seconds* as the clouds were blocking most of the light.
> At that point I looked through the 8X finder view *without* the sun filter
> and thought I detected Mercury just inside the eastern limb. But I didn't
> bother to unscrew the main tube's sun filter so saw nothing at 80X except
> blackness. At 2:40PM the clouds cleared enough to require the sun filters
> and I used 80X to notice that the dark smudge I thought was Mercury was,
> instead, a sunspot on the eastern limb that was about three times Mercury's
> diameter. Now I saw Mercury further south on the disk and about 20% of the
> way thru its passage. It was a nice, sharp, black, perfectly round
> silhouette like it should be. I did a *rough* guesstimate of its diameter
> relative to the sun and felt about 160 Mercurys across would equal the sun's
> diameter. Am I anywhere close? Then the clouds came back and the show was
> over for good. I guess I would have to call my view a success since I saw
> something!
>
> Tim
194
Rick
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Date: 09 Nov 2006 02:20:37
From: Tim Oltrogge
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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<RAMangold@aol.com > wrote in message
news:1163027039.022519.72630@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
>
> 194
>
> Rick
>
Hey, 160 isn't too bad, then. Thanks.
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 15:02:37
From: Curtis Croulet
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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100% clear here, too. Great view in white light with TV85 & H-alpha with
SolarMax 40.
--
Curtis Croulet
Temecula, California
33°27'59"N, 117°05'53"W
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 15:04:16
From: Marty
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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I've got nice clear skies here in west-central Iowa, although it's a
little windy. I'm watching the transit with an old "cannon fodder" 60mm
Jason refractor that I use to watch solar stuff because I don't really
care if it gets fried.
I've been trying to make little tracings with a pencil on the paper
I'm projecting the image on inside of a box, and am becoming painfully
reaquainted with the difficult to aim tube and flimsy mount in the wind.
Mercury shows up very clearly though, along with a dark spot just
inside the eastern limb, and a bright spot with a few dark specks inside
the western limb.
As you might have guessed, I'm not much of a solar observer...
Marty
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 22:04:50
From: Tim Oltrogge
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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"Marty" <movac5@webtv.net > wrote in message
news:21926-45524650-155@storefull-3332.bay.webtv.net...
<snip >
> Mercury shows up very clearly though, along with a dark spot just
> inside the eastern limb, and a bright spot with a few dark specks inside
> the western limb.
> As you might have guessed, I'm not much of a solar observer...
> Marty
>
Got out my Questar, which has solar filters for the finder and the main
tube. Here in Pittsburgh, PA it was basically cloudy, so I saw nothing of
the 2:12PM (EST) entrance. About 2:20PM I could see the sun's disk with the
naked eye *for a few seconds* as the clouds were blocking most of the light.
At that point I looked through the 8X finder view *without* the sun filter
and thought I detected Mercury just inside the eastern limb. But I didn't
bother to unscrew the main tube's sun filter so saw nothing at 80X except
blackness. At 2:40PM the clouds cleared enough to require the sun filters
and I used 80X to notice that the dark smudge I thought was Mercury was,
instead, a sunspot on the eastern limb that was about three times Mercury's
diameter. Now I saw Mercury further south on the disk and about 20% of the
way thru its passage. It was a nice, sharp, black, perfectly round
silhouette like it should be. I did a *rough* guesstimate of its diameter
relative to the sun and felt about 160 Mercurys across would equal the sun's
diameter. Am I anywhere close? Then the clouds came back and the show was
over for good. I guess I would have to call my view a success since I saw
something!
Tim
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 18:11:55
From: Marty
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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Tim was saying
>the dark smudge I thought was Mercury
> was, instead, a sunspot on the eastern
> limb
That was my experience too. The spot seemed a little sloppy though, and
I spotted neat little mercury on my next try.
Marty
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 18:45:01
From: Marty
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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This startling scientific documentation is what you wind up with when
you try to trace the eastern limb of the sun on a piece of paper inside
a cardboard box as the image moves across the FOV while the wind blows
your 60mm scope around on it's flimsy mount.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-7/1052094/102472715-picture.jpeg
Still had fun, though. :)
Marty
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 20:53:22
From: David G. Nagel
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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Marty wrote:
> This startling scientific documentation is what you wind up with when
> you try to trace the eastern limb of the sun on a piece of paper inside
> a cardboard box as the image moves across the FOV while the wind blows
> your 60mm scope around on it's flimsy mount.
> http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-7/1052094/102472715-picture.jpeg
> Still had fun, though. :)
> Marty
>
Reminds me of my hand drawn pictures of a partial eclipse I observed
about 15 or so years ago. I was using my 4 1/2 inch reflector from
Edmonds Scientific.
Not rocket science but an interesting exercise anyway.
Dave N
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Date: 08 Nov 2006 21:08:10
From: Marty
Subject: Re: clear skies and Mercury
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>Reminds me of my hand drawn pictures
> of a partial eclipse I observed about 15
> or so years ago. I was using my 4 1/2
> inch reflector from Edmonds Scientific.
>Not rocket science but an interesting
> exercise anyway.
>Dave N
Yeah, they're pretty crude, but when I line up the four I did, they make
a fun personal memento. I glued 'em in my log.
Marty
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