SOLAR SAFETY
REMEMBER IT IS VERY UNWISE TO LOOK AT THE SUN unless you have the proper astronomical filters for the purpose. IT IS SAFER TO PROJECT THE SUN'S IMAGE ONTO A SCREEN. Never look through view finders at the sun. instead look at the shadow of the instrument on a card. When the shadow is as small as it can be it is pointing towards the sun. NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN IT CAN BLIND YOU !
SOLAR TRANSIT OF MERCURY MAY 9th 2016
INGRESS at 12h 12 BST.
Mercury's disc is moving westwards across the Sun's disc. This is the view at around 12h 35 BST
The view in a telescope will be inverted so the planet will appear to transit from the right
to the left of the sun
TIMES FOR SCARBOROUGH NORTH YORKSHIRE:
SOLAR TRANSIT OF MERCURY MAY 9th 2016 INGRESS STARTS at 11h 12 UT (add 1 hour for local Summer Time)
TRANSIT OF MERCURY INTERIOR CONTACT OF INGRESS is at 11h 15 UT
TRANSIT OF MERCURY INTERIOR CONTACT OF EGRESS is at 18h 37 UT
TRANSIT OF MERCURY EGRESS COMPLETE - TRANSIT ENDS 18h 40 UT
The telescopic view in a Solar telescope which shows the Sun's Chromosphere in the light of Hydrogen Alpha may look like this. Note that the image is inverted. Mercury is to the right this time. Appearance at around 13h BST (1pm local time)
Image from the internet. Unfortunately I do not know the name of the imager
THE DAYLIGHT HEMISPHERE OF THE EARTH AT THE KEY TIMES OF THE TRANSIT
This Transit of Mercury can be seen in its entirety from: United Kingdom and Western Europe, western Africa, the Eastern parts of North America, and almost all of South America. The NEXT TRANSIT OF MERCURY is in NOVEMBER, 2019, the last one took place in November 2006, and before that, in May 2003.
(For interest, the next Solar Transit involving the planet Venus is on DECEMBER 11, 2117 !)
Daylight hemisphere of the Earth at INGRESS (Start of Transit - The planet enters onto the Sun's disc). 11h 12 UT . Image created using 'CELESTIA' software. (Terrestrial clouds removed----- How I wish we could do this, for the moment, in Real Life!)
Daylight hemisphere of the Earth at MID TRANSIT 14h 57 UT . Image created using 'CELESTIA' software.
Daylight hemisphere of the Earth at EGRESS (End of Transit- The planet leaves the Sun's disc) 18h 42 UT . Image created using 'CELESTIA' software.
Smartphone Images of Mercury transiting the Sun - MAY 9, 2016
Taken by Laura Grey at MONTEGUT ARROS, FRANCE, using a smartphone and the projected image.
The Astronomical Symbol is at the side of the planet to indicate its position
Taken by Ian Atkinson at NEWBY in SCARBOROUGH, using a smartphone and the projected image.
The Astronomical Symbol is at the side of the planet to indicate its position
Taken by John Harper at the Shuttleworth Clock Tower, the Esplanade, SCARBOROUGH, using a smartphone and the projected image.
NEXT TRANSIT OF MERCURY is due on NOVEMBER 11, 2019.
VISBLE FROM THE AMERICAS and Western EUROPE including the UK.
(further details will appear here shortly)