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Transit of Mercury 1999

This Halpha series was a combination of 9 total images. Eight images depicting the motion of mercury across the surface of the Sun with its prominences. They were then combined with a shorter exposure to hilight the detail of the solar surface in H alpha These images were shot using the ICSTARS 'yellowscope'; a dedicated F/15 Halpha telescope. The design features a 4.75" red objective/rejection filter, a 2" 2x Televue barlow, a mechanical focuser and a .2 angstrom Hydrogen alpha filter. We mounted the yellowscope on a Losmandy G8 set for solar tracking and shot with Fugi ASA 200 film at 1/30 sec (and one 1/60 second) at prime focus.

These white light images were shot using a Meade LX200 10" using a 3" aperature and Thousand Oaks Optics Filter. Shot with a 2x Barlow and Fugi ASA 200 negative film at 1/30 sec at prime focus.

Click here for the larger disk image which shows the incredible group of sunspots we saw that day.

Click here to get your one of a kind Transit of Mercury T-shirt!