Transit of Mercury

Transit of Mercury by Jay

            On November 9, 1769 Captain James Cook of H.M.S. Endeavour and astronomer Charles Green were on the Coromandel Peninsula in what is now known as (appropriately enough) Mercury Bay recording the Transit of Mercury.   The Coromandel’s weather is unpredictable and can go from being bright and sunny one moment to dark and torrential rains the next.  I had the good fortune to live there from 2000 – 2001 not far from where Cook and Green recorded their historic observations.  I remember visiting Shakespeare Cliff where there is a memorial located commemorating the important event where it was thought they made their recordings.  It has since been proven that they actually observed the transit from the beach, and according to Sydney Parkinson, Endeavour’s artist, another observation seems to have been made from the ship. 

            Though a poor astronomer as well as being mathematically incompetent and technically deficient, I am fascinated with science and theory not to mention history.  1769 was a big year for transit viewing.  On June 3 -4, interested spectators could get a view of Venus passing across the disc of the sun as long as they had access to a telescope.  A few months later on November 9, 1769, Mercury made its transit. This is extremely rare for the transits of Mercury and Venus to occur in the same year.  Captain James Cook and Charles Green as well as other members of the crew were luckily able to view both transits.  The day seemed perfect for viewing.  According to the gentleman scientist, Joseph Banks, this was “fortunate circumstance as except yesterday and today we have not had a clear day for some time” (Banks’ Journal).  Fate seemed to be with the expedition for astronomical viewing, for the weather was predominantly clear for observing both transits, Venus from Tahiti and Mercury from New Zealand.  Unfortunately, on the day of the Mercury transit, tragedy occurred.  It seems there was a dispute over the trading of cloth between Lieutenant John Gore and a Maori named Otirreeoonooe.  Details are vague, but it seems that Gore became incensed when Otirreeoonoe took off in the canoe with the cloth the lieutenant had given him without giving him his own whereupon Gore shot and killed him.  When Cook found out, he was frustrated and upset that one of his own officers (Gore was actually third in command of the ship at the time) had resorted to killing a man for stealing a piece of cloth.  It had been an eventful day marred by the bloody incident.

            I had no such worries last Monday when I took out my Nikon and homemade solar filter (courtesy of my creative wife Tina) when I woke up shortly before 7:00 A.M. to observe this year’s Transit of Mercury here in Pineville, North Carolina.  I was ready for the ingress which occurred between 7:12 and 7:16 though I was unable to get a good view due to the trees blocking my view in the back yard.  It wasn’t long though before I was able to get a clear view and shot of the tiny and innocuous looking planet passing before that majestic ball of hydrogen and helium.  Throughout the day I was able to take about 115 pictures at various times.  Unfortunately, I missed the egress, for I had inadvertently touched the viewfinder button so that I was unable to see the sun through the lens.  Because I was unfamiliar with the camera and only had a few minutes to catch what would be a tiny “tear drop” or “black drop” effect, I missed out on what would have been some fascinating pictures.  However, I was satisfied with the pictures I had taken – not bad for an astronomical novice.  If only Captain Cook and the royal astronomer Charles Green had had the technology that I, in my ignorance, had so carelessly used, I’m sure they would have made a much better “go of it” than me! 

Enjoy the pictures!