MY LAST TRANSIT OF MERCURY?
-------------------------
John Pazmino
NYSkies Astronomy Inc
www.nyskies.org
nyskies@nyskies.org
2019 November 11
Introduction
-----------
I observed several transits of mercury in my astronomy career,
plus a couple lost to clouds. for astronomers in the new York City
vicinity transits in the mid 20th century to early 21st came
frequently, one per decade averaged out.
This transit of 2019 November 11 was radicly different. The very
next one comes in 2032 and then 2039. Both are during our night and
require a 'transit-chasing' trip to Europe. The next one visible from
the City is in, uh, 2049!
That, if i stay put in town, is well beyond my anticipated
remaining life.
I just hoped the weather would be clear to witness this what may
perhaps be my own final Mercury t Mercury transit. Yes, the weather
WAS clear and the air was mild and calm.
Veterans Day
---------- 11 November 2019, a Monday, was Veterans Day, a
national holiday. I was home for the long weekend, giving me ample
time to plan and try ways to watch the transit. I viewed from home ,
without team with other astronomers or attend a public viewing.
When the November 2019 NYC Events issued there were only four
announced public viewing, none within New York City. From dialog at
the November 1st Seminar I heard of other viewings under
consideration but not yet firmed up. These could have been arranged in
early November with short notice.
There could have been spontaneous viewings in parks and
waterfronts. These could attract ambient people at the moment. These
wouldn't be announced in advance and a person would have to accidently
encounter them.
Preparation
---------
The rising Sun shines into a window where I set up a tabletop
scope on the window sill. From this station the Sun was in view for
about a half hour after first contact, enough to satisfy me that
Mercury was marching into the solar disc.
After the Sun went around my house out of view I continued
watching with an other small scope on a camera tripod from my
backyard. Tie yard is in sunlight for the rest of the transit.
I rehearsed the setup during the preceding weekend. I also
exercised several solar system and planetarium softwares to track the
transit in real time.
I found after trying a couple small scopes that the best scope to
hand was the classic Questar. I attached its front-end solar filter
and flipped the built-in filter over the finder.
the scope sat snugly on the ledge, braced against the window
frame.
Eyepiece shield
-------------
I have a couple of necessary accessory for afocal photography, an
eyepiece shield. This is a short tube to block side lighting from
entering the camera. My digital camera has a fixed lens, making afocal
imaging the only reasonable way to capture pictures of the transit.
At NEAF I inquired about these gadgets and, yes, they were at sale
for a dozen to half a hundred dollars. I passed them up.
In the stead I found the perfect shields in the 99c stores. They
come in packs of four, each wrapped in a thick tunic of soft tissue.
After removing the wrapping, the shield is ready for use. The damage
is, uh, order two dollars. That's a hefty saving and I got four
shields, not just one.
First observation
---------------
I woke up at about 06:30 EST, near sunrise, on the 11th. The sky
looked hazy with shmutz around the horizon. The Sun came up thru this
shmutz.
I fired up my computer to display the Sun in realtime speed. I
from practice earlier found Dance gave me the best presentation for
the transit. Mercury was still east of the Sun.
I set up the scope on the window to be ready if the sky cleared
up.
It being full fall temperature so far in November, I put on a
thick bathrobe in reverse, like a hospital gown. My front was
protected by a solid barrier against morning chill. This is a tactic i
in cold weather for observing thru open windows. Upon opening the
window I felt a refreshing cool air, not any way cold, much less
frigid. I removed the bathrobe to soak up this mild air.
The Sun rose into the horizon haze but quickly climbed above it
into clear sky. While clear, there was a thin haze tempering the blue
color of the sky. The Sun shined brightly with a yellow tint.
I got the Sun in the scope, took a quick scan of the disc. At
first I did not see Mercury. From the computer display I saw it was
too early. First contact was still many minutes ahead.
The Sun was ENTIRELY BLANK! No sunspots! at a!!. I tried with low
and high power and, no, there was no hide or hair of any spot any
where on the Sun's disc.
Mercury came onto the Sun behind my back. I first caught sight of
him a couple diameters into the disc, within the limb darkening.
Mercury was SMALL,TINY! I know all about planet sizes and such but
it is a surprise to actually see the comparison between planet and Sun
size. This surprise came over me in previous Mercury transits, yet it
always felt like the first instance of seeing minuscule planet on the
humongousc Sun.
I watched on & off until about 08;15 EST when the Sun moved out of
scope reach behind my house.
I closed the window, packed up the scope, and did breakfast.
Photography
---------
Altho it seemed feasible during the rehearsal to take pictures
from my window, it turned out that I had to contort to hold the camera
over the eyepiece. I was too off balance and unstable. I put down the
camera and continued to view thru the eyepiece. There was no time to
fiddle with the camera during this first observing period.
Later when I observed from my yard, I skipped photography to
maximize visual observing time.
later observations
----------------
The sky stayed clear, with overall haze. only a couple passing
clouds momentarily blocked the Sun. To continue my viewing I had to go
into my yard, which enjoyed sunshine thru the rest of the transit.
The standard Questar was not suitable for lack of a solid stable
support, like a table, in the yard to set it on. I assembled a second
Questar, the field model, on a camera tripod. This unit was easy to
pick up and carry to and from the yard. I figured to spend only five
or so minutes per observation and wanted a unit that plops on the
ground all ready to go.
It has its own front-end solar filter, but the finder had no
filter. I capped the finder lens a small plastic bottle cap. This i
put into the scope package from long prior experience.
The air was still cool, a bit breezy, needing only a light jacket
for comfort. Radio weather-casts during the day noted a stable
temperature of about 15C.
I went out roughly hourly. In each instance no clouds threatened
my viewing. Occasionally a haze patch passed over the Sun, dulling his
image. In such instances Mercury was subdued on the disc.
I stayed at the scope for a few minutes, five or so, enough to
absorb the scene on the Sun. i stood up, no stool or chair, the easier
to maneuver around the yard if the Sun was behind a tree branch.
Mercury plodded along smoothly toward the right edge of the Sun.
he was all alone with no sunspots to relieve the monotonous solar
disc.
Last observation
--------------
At about 12:30 the clouds were bunching closer together with
smaller gaps between them. There was still plenty of open sky around
the Sun.
I went out a few minutes before 13h to see Mercury leave the Sun.
As luck fell out, the Sun was in a patch of haze. Mercury was harder
to discern. He was near the 3 o'clock point of the limb. He creeped
toward the limb, touched it, then, poof!, he was gone.
So I thought.
Mercury didn't quite leave the sun. He was muted out of sight by
haze. A moment after, realizing this, the haze thinned out to let me
watch Mercury really cross the limb and quite the Sun for good.
The transit was over.
I came indoors after fourth contact, put away my equipment, and
did lunch. I closed the computer.
Rest of day
---------
The sky gradually clouded over thru late afternoon. Near sunset it
was fully cloudy.
The rest of the day was at my leisure, it being the Veterans Day
holiday. I started writing this account on and off over the hours.
As I did so it
came to me that thee were no other people around me who knew about the
transit.
For many special celestial events the news media carry stories
about it before it occurs. People could reasonably learn about the
event, This transit was hardly at all mentioned, and then only as a
news item and not a show to watch.
Granted, a telescope was needed, which probably no one within a
full kilometer around me would have. skill and protection for solar
viewing were needed, again wholly absent from my surrounds.
i felt as if i was admitted into some awesome sight foretold to me
and not to others. The one or two people I noticed in other yards went
about their daily routine as if today was like any other day in their
lifes.
It fell to me, so it felt,to be te one to witness the spectacle of
a planet crossing over the disc of the Sun. Was this how Horrocks
sensed for the Venus transit, or Gassendi for the Mercury transit, in
the early 1600s?
The sensation ws strnghtened by the mild calm weather, calling for
only a light jacket. If this will be my final Mercury transit of my
life, this is the setting to see it!
Conclusion
--------
This was a peaceful quiet event, enjoyed leisurely for the several
hours of duration. The air was cool, with soft breeze.
I am grossly aware that after rounds of transits in my astronomy
life -- including both of Venus! -- I may not witness an other
transit again from the City area. I'll have to travel away to catch
one, and that's after a dozen more years from now.