Finally Photos

Waiting for this Friday entry wasn't easy. The Venus transit is over, but not the photos or memories. Here they are:

Chomp Chomp

 Venus starts to munch on the sun. Yummy!

Off the Edge

A little blurry. Gosh it's tough to take pictures through a telescope holding the camera to the eyepiece. Maybe some astrophotography lessons will help. The 8 " Dynamax reflecting telescope through which this photo was taken has the correct visual back for screwing the camera body to it. It also tracks, so the earth's motion won't blur the photo shots. Without a T-connector or knowledge of exposure times it couldn't be done. Oh well; next time (did they say 105 years?)

Nice 'n Sharp

 The three hour ordeal of sharing with neighbors, keeping Venus centered, and explaining positions was labor intensive. Not only did the scope have to me moved half way through the viewing because the sun was setting, but the angle of the telescope also had to be changed for better tracking.

Moving  Along

 It's difficult to tell whether the planet is moving across the face of the sun, or has just moved a little farther away from its edge. In this photo Venus is truly away from the edge of the sun.The right side is the edge of the eyepiece, because the image is reverse in a reflecting telescope.

Almost Across

Timing is everything. When were these photos taken? Thanks to the Nikon CCD camera which tags each photo, we know exactly when each photo was snapped.

Taken 6:10 PM

Just before the sun dipped below the horizon, this final shot shows how far Venus traveled in almost three hours. The first photo above was taken at 3:50 PM. Off the Edge was taken at 3:59, and Nice 'n Sharp was taken at 4:04.
The remaining three photos were taken at 4:59, 5:28, and as listed, 6:10 respectively.
With measurements like this, you can actually work out the mathematics of the distance the planet has traveled, the size of the sun in relation to the planet, and the size of the planet. So all you amateur astronomers, get busy and don't ever miss another transit.
It's math that gets astronomers excited, because through timed distances, we get to know our grand universe better.