Mercury Transit of the Sun (Nov 9, 2006)


Date & Time: Nov 9 2006, from 7:00 tp 9:00 JST(+0900), 1/100 to 1/250sec. exposed each
Composed 7 images
Optical: PENTAX 7.5cm(2.9") ED refractor, afocal method with LV12mm eyepiece
Stopped down to 5cm(2"), with two ND400 filters
Synthesized focal length f=795mm (equivalent f=4370mm in 35mm film format)
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI EM-200 Equatorial
Digital Camera: OLYMPUS C-2020Z
Location: Kokubunji city, Tokyo

Camera Settings: Mode.....SHQ (1600×1200, high-quality JPEG format)
Lens.....f=19.1mm (equivalent f=105mm in 35mm film format), Stop: F2.8
CCD sensitivity.....ISO100, White Balance.....Auto



From 3rd to 4th contact

Date & Time: Nov 9 2006, times're displayed in image, 1/30sec exposed each
Optical: PENTAX 7.5cm(2.9") ED refractor, afocal method with LV5mm eyepiece
Stopped down to 5cm(2"), with two ND400 filters
>Synthesized focal length f=1910mm (equivalent f=10500mm in 35mm film format)
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI EM-200 Equatorial
Digital Camera: OLYMPUS C-2020Z
Location: Kokubunji city, Tokyo

Camera Settings: Mode.....SHQ (1600×1200, high-quality JPEG format)
Lens.....f=19.1mm (equivalent f=105mm in 35mm film format), Stop: F2.8
CCD sensitivity.....ISO100, White Balance.....Auto


These pictures show you the Mercury transit of the sun observed in morning of Nov 9, 2006. In Japan we could observe the latter half of the progress. You can see the small black spot of Mercury is moving slowly on the solar disk for about 2 hours. The Mercury had the third contact with the solar rim after 9:00, and went through the solar disk spending about 2 minutes.

Warning: You may go blind, or your eyesight may fail when you observe or take pictures of the sun without right knowledge about reduction of sunlight.
I do not take responsibilities for any accidents and/or damages by observing the sun even if this web page was how it all started.



Sunspot Group
Mercury

Copyright(c) 2006 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
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