Today is our fourteenth wedding anniversary. Bob gave me this beautiful opal jewelry since opal is the gemstone to be given for this anniversary. Click on the image to enlarge.
Something Shiny
More Solar Photography
I looked on Space Weather today and saw that there were several sunspots facing Earthward. I went out to the courtyard and snapped this image through my solar filter. I later annotated the spot numbers according to the solar image on the website above. My camera was not able to resolve all the spots, but I think it did OK. Click on the image to enlarge.
Venus at Mid-Transit
This image taken yesterday at about 18:24 Arizona time, is the approximate mid point of the transit of Venus. I adjusted the image such that ecliptic north is up. Venus moved from left to right across the northern hemisphere of the solar disc.
Image: Venus at Mid-Transit. Camera: Canon SX-40, Rainbow Symphony Solar Filter, Shutter Speed: 1/2000′, Aperture: F 5.0, Film Speed: ISO 3200. I hand held the camera and did not use a tripod. Click image to enlarge.
We were not able to watch or photograph much more after I took this image, since the terrain at our house rises to the west and apparent sunset is about forty minutes before actual. Regardless, we would not have been able to see Venus exit the disc since that occurred well after sundown here in the 48 contiguous states. We feel lucky that we got to see the midpoint of the transit.
We also feel lucky to have witnessed two solar events in just a little over three weeks, the first semi-rare event being the annular eclipse and this extremely rare Venus transit. The next transit of Venus will be 105 years hence in the year 2117.
Venus Transit of the Sun Tomorrow – June 5, 2012
Tomorrow is the rare solar transit of planet Venus. Even though we’re going to be running errands tomorrow afternoon, we’re taking our cameras, solar filters and eclipse shades in an attempt to witness and record the phenomenon. The event starts at a little after three our time and will still be in progress at sundown. We will be home when Venus reaches the halfway point across the solar disc. We will be using the same cameras and techniques used for the May 20 annular eclipse.
Here’s some information I posted last month:
There is a listing of transit contact events for US cities (and another for international). The closest city listed to our location is Phoenix, AZ. The first event is when the disc of Venus first touches the solar disc occurs at 15:05:55 (Arizona Time); the sun will be 54° above the horizon. The second event is when the other edge of Venus crosses the edge of the sun and occurs at 15:23:32; the sun will be at 50° of elevation. The last transit contact listed is greatest transit which, I assume, is when Venus is halfway across its path over the sun; that occurs at 18:25:24 when the sun is at 13° of elevation.
There is supposed to be a live webcast covering the event. Remember – if you miss this transit, the next one will not be until the year 2117.
Annular Animation
Using photographs that Verna took during the eclipse, I threw together a little animation of the main part of the event. To start the animation, click the image below; it will run until maximum annularity. Click again to continue to almost the end of annularity. Click once more to to rewind. Pardon the slight jitter; it was difficult to align each frame perfectly with my animation application.
I cannot tell you how amazingly spectacular it was to see in person. Verna and I are already starting to plan for the total eclipse that will occur on August 21, 2017. We are looking at being near Casper, WY, but that could change between now and five years from now.
Click here to see the equipment and camera settings she used.
The Annular Solar Eclipse of May 20, 2012
And this is the Ring of Fire. The Moon passed in front of the Sun. Pretty Awesome!
The camera was a Canon Rebel EOS XTi with a Rainbow Symphony solar filter. Settings were aperture F5.7, 1/1600′ exposure and ISO 1600 film speed.
