The sky this month - Last Mercury transit for a decade
Wednesday, 8. November 2006, 20:52:48
On November 8, Mercury passes directly between the Sun and Earth, which produces a transit. Mercury appears as a tiny black dot as it crosses, or transits, the Sun's face over the course of about 5 hours. Much or all of the transit can be viewed from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America. Make the most of this event - the next Mercury transit won't come for 10 years.
Mercury appears small enough that you'll need a telescope to spot it. Take great care when observing the transit because, as on every day of the year, the intensity of direct sunlight can damage your eyes in an instant. The safest viewing methods are to project the Sun's image onto a white card or to place a solar filter over the front of your scope. Make sure the filter is marked clearly with a safety label signifying its suitability for viewing the Sun.
The first bite of Mercury appears on the solar disk's edge at 2:12 P.M. EST (11:12 A.M. PST). This moment is called "first contact," and it signifies the transit's start. People throughout North and South America and in Hawaii will witness this stage. About 2 minutes later, Mercury's entire disk appears against the Sun's face - second contact. Over the following 4 hours and 54 minutes, Mercury's dark silhouette traverses the Sun's southern hemisphere. At Mercury's distance of 63 million miles from Earth, the planet's 3,000-mile-wide disk spans a mere 10".
Mercury reaches the midpoint of the transit at 4:41 P.M. EST (1:41 P.M. PST), and the Sun sets soon after along the U.S. eastern seaboard.
The transit's end will be visible only from west of the Rocky Mountains. Third contact occurs at 4:08 P.M. PST, followed 2 minutes later by the transit's conclusion. Residents of Hawaii and New Zealand can see the entire event. The transit's final stages can be viewed from Australia, Japan, and eastern Asia, where the Sun rises with the transit in progress.
Mercury transits can occur only in May or November, when the planet crosses the ecliptic plane. And they happen rarely - 13 or 14 times per century. The next Mercury transit occurs May 9, 2016.
Mercury appears small enough that you'll need a telescope to spot it. Take great care when observing the transit because, as on every day of the year, the intensity of direct sunlight can damage your eyes in an instant. The safest viewing methods are to project the Sun's image onto a white card or to place a solar filter over the front of your scope. Make sure the filter is marked clearly with a safety label signifying its suitability for viewing the Sun.
The first bite of Mercury appears on the solar disk's edge at 2:12 P.M. EST (11:12 A.M. PST). This moment is called "first contact," and it signifies the transit's start. People throughout North and South America and in Hawaii will witness this stage. About 2 minutes later, Mercury's entire disk appears against the Sun's face - second contact. Over the following 4 hours and 54 minutes, Mercury's dark silhouette traverses the Sun's southern hemisphere. At Mercury's distance of 63 million miles from Earth, the planet's 3,000-mile-wide disk spans a mere 10".
Mercury reaches the midpoint of the transit at 4:41 P.M. EST (1:41 P.M. PST), and the Sun sets soon after along the U.S. eastern seaboard.
The transit's end will be visible only from west of the Rocky Mountains. Third contact occurs at 4:08 P.M. PST, followed 2 minutes later by the transit's conclusion. Residents of Hawaii and New Zealand can see the entire event. The transit's final stages can be viewed from Australia, Japan, and eastern Asia, where the Sun rises with the transit in progress.
Mercury transits can occur only in May or November, when the planet crosses the ecliptic plane. And they happen rarely - 13 or 14 times per century. The next Mercury transit occurs May 9, 2016.
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