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Астронет: Астрономическая картинка дня Меркурий и спокойное Солнце http://variable-stars.ru/db/msg/1537929/eng |
Credit & Copyright: John Chumack
Explanation:
On
November 11, 2019 the Sun was mostly quiet,
experiencing a minimum in its
11
year cycle of activity.
In fact, the only spot visible was actually planet
Mercury, making a leisurely 5 1/2 hour transit
in front of the calm solar disk.
About 1/200th the apparent diameter of the Sun, the silhouette of
the solar system's inner most planet is near center in this sharp,
full Sun snapshot.
Taken with a hydrogen alpha filter and safe solar telescope, the
image also captures
prominences around the solar limb,
the glowing plasma trapped in arcing magnetic fields.
Of course, only inner planets Mercury
and
Venus
can transit the Sun to appear in silhouette when viewed
from planet Earth.
Following its transit
in 2016, this was Mercury's 4th of 14
transits across the solar disk
in
the 21st century.
The next transit of Mercury will be on November 13, 2032.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.