Astroblog: Semi-live Transit blogging

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Semi-live Transit blogging

Images added 9:50 am , image from 8:00 am Click to enlarge

It's just before sunrise here, I've tried to get some webcasts up and running, but the US ones seem to be oversubscribed. The big scope is up, I'm setting up the projection scope now.There is some smattering of high, light could. But that is in the opposite direction to the Sun. Could be a good one.

6:56 So far only Paul Floyd's site is not swamped. Sun still not over the houses yet.

7:08 Sun's just above the houses. Mercury is clearly visible, as is the Monster Sunspot, in the projection scope. Have to set up the refractor now.

8:58 This is why its is semi-live. Got some shots off while I gave the boys breakfast and helped the Bettdeckererschanppender Weisle get them off to School. The Twins Brother came over and had a look too. The other locals I invited were probably too busy getting off to work. There is some high, thin cloud at the moment, but it is not interfering.

Image from 9:30 am
9:36 Ron has pointed out that the CSU remote telescope webcast is working. The Exploratorium webcast works sporadically for me. I've added a couple of pictures taken of the projection system. The focus in the cmaera is pretty awful, I can see both Mercury and the Sunspot a lot clearer than the images. Mercury is fairly hooting along. Third contact is just ovet half an hour away!

10:10 am Thin cloud is getting in the way. You can still see Mercury, but the image is hard to photograph due to fuzzyness.

10:29 am 9 minutes to final conatct, and the cloud is getting thicker, but Mercury still visible.

10:43 am WAHOO!!! Saw the contact. I was firing off shots like crazy on the film camera. Don't know how much of egress I caught. Egress was very clear on the projection setup, but I could only sneak glances as I was photographing on the refractor. Wow, that was fantastic!!!

Time to pack up, drop the film off at the shops, and go to work. Whee!! That was fun.

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 5:49 am

Comments:

Ian, I managed to get a quick screenshot of the Exploratorium webcast before it gave up on me.

# posted by

Anonymous : 7:12 am

Looks good. A bit more ommph than my little refractor. Seeing is good here and it looks like a nice event all round. Pity virtually every webcast has gone belly up.

# posted by

Ian Musgrave : 7:19 am

I'll try and put up some quick shots from my little digital if I get the chance.

# posted by

Ian Musgrave : 7:20 am

The CSU Remote Telescope web cast from Bathurst is working:
http://black-hole-net.mit.csu.edu.au/telescope/events/tom/live.html

Images are updated every 10 seconds.

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:24 am

The CSU site was great and I got to see the end of the transit, thanks for the heads up!

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:51 am