Transit of Venus.

It was supposedly starting (transit) at around 0600H.

After an hour of waiting, clouds began to clear by 7am. 

This was my first glance of the transit of Venus.

About an hour after the transit began.

Three hours later.

This was my set up, a refractor stopped down to lower the light

passing through the mirrors. Stepping down a telescope means putting a

cardboard over the main lens with a small hole near the edge of the

primary and secondary mirrors.

Because the Earth moves at 1670km/hr, it takes about 30 seconds

for the sun to cross my refractor, so I always move the telescope

every 30 seconds or so, a very grueling task, but fun.

At 1239H, I recorded what baffles astronomers and astrophysicist,

the Black Drop effect, it happens when the planet is near the edge of the sun,

a tear drop shape shadow appears between the planet and the sun.

A minute later, the transit ended.

Sunspots are clearly visible on this image.

If you didn't catch this very rare phenomenon, too bad,

the next one is 105 years to the future. :)

Always to the Stars!