November 11, 2019: Photography of the transit of planet Mercury

Abstract

Introduction: Transits of planets in front of the Sun can be seen from planet Earth, especially with Mercury and Venus, the interiors of the Solar System. To study these events, it is necessary to understand terms like photography aperture, speed and International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In astronomy, it is important to highlight the inner conjunction and ephemeris, in order to have a better understanding of the experience. This article registers the technical aspects of photography applied to planetary transit astronomy on November 11, 2019. Presentation of experience: The observations took place on Monday, November 11, 2019, at the Observatorio Astronómico Centroamericano de Suyapa (OACS) of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH), from 06:35:27 to 12:04:14. A Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera, an 8” Meade telescope and a laptop with software specialized in photographic captures were used. Discussion: The first image was captured at 07:01. Weather conditions prevented to capture the first two ephemeris of the transit. Two additional photos were taken at 09:19 and 12:02. Conclusion: The OACS /UNAH obtained a bank of 125 high quality images throughout the entire astronomical event.