A transit of
Mercury across the Sun takes place when the planet Mercury passes directly
(transits) between the Sun and a superior planet, becoming visible against (and
hence obscuring a small portion of) the solar disk. During a transit, Mercury
appears as a tiny black dot moving across the disk of the Sun.
Transits of Mercury with
respect to Earth are much more frequent than transits of Venus, with about 13
or 14 per century, in part because Mercury is closer to the Sun and orbits it
more rapidly.
Transits of Mercury
occur in May or November. The last four transits occurred on May 7, 2003;
November 8, 2006; May 9, 2016; and November 11, 2019. The next will occur on
November 13, 2032. A typical transit lasts several hours.
On June 3, 2014, the
Mars rover Curiosity observed the planet Mercury transiting the Sun, marking
the first time a planetary transit has been observed from a celestial body
besides Earth.
Watch the transit on 11th November below.
