# Transit of Mercury - Hydrogen Alpha



## GuyF (Mar 28, 2013)

Note the 5D3 has enough dynamic range to pick out surface detail on Mercury. Take _that_, Nikon owners. Actually, on reflection, take _*that*_, NASA 8).

(Disclaimer: this may or may not be an actual representation...or not...maybe....)


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## sleepnever (Mar 28, 2013)

Ok, I'l bite. =) What exactly are those of us not informed on "Transit of Mercury - Hydrogen Alpha" looking at and what gear did you shoot this with on the 5D3?


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## lilmsmaggie (Mar 28, 2013)

sleepnever said:


> Ok, I'l bite. =) What exactly are those of us not informed on "Transit of Mercury - Hydrogen Alpha" looking at and what gear did you shoot this with on the 5D3?



Transit means its path or crossing past the sun's surface as viewed from space. Basically you're observing Mercury's orbital path around the sun.

Hydrogen alpha is a band of red light in the electromagnetic spectrum. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and is the brightest wavelength that can be detected. In this case, the OP is probably using a Hydrogen alpha filter to isolate the wavelength of Hydrogen.

I'd be interested in what equipment was used as well.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 28, 2013)

??? ??? ???


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## polarhannes (Mar 28, 2013)

GuyF said:


> (Disclaimer: this may or may not be an actual representation...or not...maybe....)



To me it looks like a slightly blurred macro picture of an illuminated piece of amber.

No matter what it is, I like the picture!


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## lilmsmaggie (Mar 28, 2013)

polarhannes said:


> GuyF said:
> 
> 
> > (Disclaimer: this may or may not be an actual representation...or not...maybe....)
> ...




The "_blurred picture of an illuminated piece of amber_" in this case is actually the outer surface (photosphere) of the sun in the background. 

Mercury is that small dark sphere in the lower left.


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## woollybear (Mar 28, 2013)

Doesn't look real to me. Here is one of venus transiting the sun in the summer. FWIW...none of us will see this happen again. Its not do to occur again in our lifetimes.


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## lilmsmaggie (Mar 28, 2013)

woollybear said:


> Doesn't look real to me. Here is one of venus transiting the sun in the summer. FWIW...none of us will see this happen again. Its not do to occur again in our lifetimes.



You have a point woollybear -- it does look a bit suspicious. Maybe a crop from an image taken with a 6" refractor? Maybe not. OP has yet to pipe up with any specifics.

BTW - nice shot of Venus's transit. 

The last transit of Mercury occurred on November 8, 9 2006. The next transit of Mercury is due to occur on 
May 9, 2016.


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## bjd (Mar 28, 2013)

woollybear said:


> Doesn't look real to me. Here is one of venus transiting the sun in the summer. FWIW...none of us will see this happen again. Its not do to occur again in our lifetimes.



Hi Woollybear, that is a fabulous shot. Any chance of getting hold of a high quality version of it?

Cheers Brian


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 28, 2013)

woollybear said:


> Doesn't look real to me. Here is one of venus transiting the sun in the summer. FWIW...none of us will see this happen again. Its not do to occur again in our lifetimes.


wow! that is an AWESOME pic ... I remember attempting a shot at it but it is nowhere near as spectacular as yours ... great job.


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## woollybear (Mar 28, 2013)

Whoa...sorry about that...but this NOT my photo. I would have given attribution but I have found at least four sites/photographers claiming the photo as theirs. Near as I can tell the real photographer is Alan Friedman.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 28, 2013)

woollybear said:


> Whoa...sorry about that...but this NOT my photo. I would have given attribution but I have found at least four sites/photographers claiming the photo as theirs. Near as I can tell the real photographer is Alan Friedman.


OK, I'm taking my WOW back ... just kidding, thanks for sharing and for clarifying. Peace


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## GuyF (Mar 29, 2013)

So what's in the shot?

Clearly it isn't a pic of Mercury - it would be a complete silhouette against the sun. Also if it were an astrophoto I wouldn't post in Abstract (along with the small disclaimer)!

I was cleaning out a jam jar with hot water and saw neat patterns in the dissolving jam as I swished the water around. It looked a bit interesting and I thought there must be a shot in there somewhere. Out comes the Tamron 90mm macro and the shot you see is an extreme crop to home in on an airbubble (hence you can see through it). Messing about in Photoshop with levels and colour temperature really amped up the oranges and yellows. The more I messed about with it, the more I thought it looked a bit like the surface of the sun and the bubble suddenly became "Transit of Mercury".

The shot that woollybear posted is excellent - just google "hydrogen alpha images" for more terrific images.

Oh, in case you're wondering, it was strawberry jam (very nice on a toasted bagel ).


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 29, 2013)

GuyF said:


> the more I thought it looked a bit like the surface of the sun and the bubble suddenly became "Transit of Mercury".


I think you are the only one who thinks that :
Peace


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## bjd (Mar 29, 2013)

woollybear said:


> Whoa...sorry about that...but this NOT my photo. I would have given attribution but I have found at least four sites/photographers claiming the photo as theirs. Near as I can tell the real photographer is Alan Friedman.


Yep, a Fine Art print of it costs 950$. I'm hoping its possible to get a poster of it maybe?
I emailed Alan, lets see how he answers.

Cheers Brian


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## GuyF (Mar 29, 2013)

Rienzphotoz said:


> GuyF said:
> 
> 
> > the more I thought it looked a bit like the surface of the sun and the bubble suddenly became "Transit of Mercury".
> ...



Hmmm, I seemed to initially "fool" Lilmsmaggie (it wasn't my intention to trick anyone, merely an image that reminded me of some astro pics - http://astronomy-guide.blogspot.co.uk/2010_08_01_archive.html).
Interpreting an abstract image is all in the mind of the viewer. If people don't "see" what the artist (for want of a better word) sees then does it really matter? It was just a bit of fun.


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## Rienzphotoz (Mar 29, 2013)

GuyF said:


> Rienzphotoz said:
> 
> 
> > GuyF said:
> ...


I did not mean to imply that you were trying to "tick anyone" ... but I agree with you about what the artist sees, as long as you find inspiration or it speaks to you or makes sense to you, it does not matter what others think. Regards


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## CarlTN (Mar 29, 2013)

It's probably easier to produce compelling "astro" images from close up abstracts of something else like strawberry jam, than it is to do the real thing. A LOT less costly, as well...Did anyone not try to save the image and see if any exif data showed? Perhaps there was none. But if there is, it should show a 100mm lens was used, in which case you would have to look closer to earth for an explanation of what the shot portrays.

Certainly art is in the eye of the beholder, but I wonder what would have happened if GuyF had tried to sell prints of the image (or even just digital copies) and pass it off as a real astro pic? Assuming there would be buyers, of course...I presume it wouldn't have taken long for someone to debunk it.

It also seems he was trying to provoke Nikon lurkers just a wee bit...hahaha...I can imagine them immediately going out on a sunny day to try to capture a planetary transit with magical "universe shine" on the shaded side, which is somehow comparable to the sun's relative close-proximity light output...hahahahaha!!! Fried eyeballs and big melted black lenses might result, but no "universe shine" :-D...


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