Getting ready for tomorrow's eclipse ... not quite to scale ;-)

[Helen]

Getting in the mood - not sure about the scale though 😉 

 

[Ruud]

Aw, that is sweet.

It's going to be cloudy here with rain in the afternoon.

[JamesF]

8 minutes ago, Ruud said:

It's going to be cloudy here with rain in the afternoon.

Same here by the looks of it

James

[kirkster501]

The weather is not looking good in The Midlands.  A ton of rain these last few days and more predicated today.   As per normal for any much publicised astronomical event......

[sloz1664]

3 hours ago, kirkster501 said:

The weather is not looking good in The Midlands.  A ton of rain these last few days and more predicated today.   As per normal for any much publicised astronomical event......

Again, gutted 

Steve

[Helen]

Arrived at Plan A location....hazy sunshine (🤨), slight drizzle (🙄 - and I'm wearing duvet jacket for warmth rather than waterproof!), howling gale (how to use car as windbreak without obscuring view 🤔)

Going to be a challenge!!!

Helen

[Swoop1]

Mercury Transit- Putting the Part in Partial.

I am about to load up the car and take a short trip out to meet some mates. Partial cloud (scudding along quite quickly) so, you never know!

[Helen]

Hmmm which of the two will win...

And will the tripod stay upright 🥺

Helen

[daz]

Good luck all!

Stuck in the office so can't get across to Bedford for the viewing

 

Hold onto something Helen!!

[Helen]

Got it !!! Tiny and hard to focus with the wind, but certainly got it 😁😁. Just had a nice chat to a dog walker too 👍

Now thinking of trying the camera..

Helen (happy 😁😁)

[JamesF]

Well done Helen.  Still grim here, and looking as though the rain is about to start :(

James

[Helen]

[Skywatcher130]

Tracking it here in Staffordshire.  Every now and again there's a gap in the clouds and I get a clear view, it's like a full stop on a blank sheet of paper 😀 

[Gina]

Frequent rain showers here surrounded by cloud.  Brief sunny intervals but probably not worth setting up - scope not even in the observatory,

[Gina]

The rain is now almost continuous and haven't seen the sun for some time.

[kirkster501]

No chance in East Midlands, it is lashing it down.

I was really looking forward to this today  

[LukeSkywatcher]

Eh!!!!!!

What?. Eclipse?. Dagnamit!!!!.

It has been clear and sunny here, all day. 

 

 

[Gina]

Too much rain and cloud here!

[MushroomBill]

It had slipped my mind that it was today - it's been quite a day and my work phone hasn't stopped ringing.  By chance I opened a web news page and saw the coverage.  Memory now jogged.  The sky outside brightened and the sun was out - it was clearly meant to be. 

Grabbed the Lunt, a camera tripod and EP and dashed outside.  No good in the back garden so have to go out to the front - not ideal - hate making a spectacle.  A neighbour asked what I was up to and told me I shouldn't point a telescope at the sun...  Good advice but I quickly explained.

Found a good spot but all a bit wobbly on the tripod. The biting wind not helping but just as I've got it lined up, the same neighbour decides to switch on his (previously out of sight) pressure washer to clean his camper van.  Could see the huge amount of spray heading my way so quickly had to move everything and start again.  Managed to see it from vantage point 2 and now its gone cloudy again.

Maybe I'll get the camera ready for 2032!

[Gina]

Hmm...  I'll be 90 then or moved on to pastures new...

[MushroomBill]

4 hours ago, Gina said:

Hmm...  I'll be 90 then

Well I’ll pop down to you and you can help me set the camera up...

[kirkster501]

It was a complete washout in Nottingham and continues to be today 🙄

[Gina]

Just to rub salt in the wound, it's a beautiful sunny morning here.  But guess what's forecast for later and tonight - yup - cloud and yet more rain!!

[Phillips6549]

In Solihull, there was a lot of broken cloud early in the transit but I managed to get the projection working.  You can just see the silhouette of Mercury in the red circle.

Later the clouds parted and gave a good view.  The other photo was taken with my mobile phone through a Skywatcher 130mm reflector with 20mm EP and solar filter.

 

Happy bunny here.

 

Mark