|
Credit & Copyright: NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center,
Genna Duberstein;
Music:
Encompass by
Mark Petrie
Explanation:
What's that small black dot moving across the Sun?
Mercury.
Possibly the clearest view of
Mercury crossing
in front of the Sun in 2016 May was from Earth orbit.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory obtained an uninterrupted vista
recording it not only in optical light but also in bands of
ultraviolet light.
Featured here is a composite movie of the crossing set to music.
Although the event might prove
successful scientifically for better
determining components of Mercury' ultra-thin atmosphere,
the event surely proved
successful culturally by involving
people throughout the world
in observing a rare astronomical phenomenon.
Many spectacular images of this
Mercury transit from around (and above) the globe were
proudly
displayed.
The next
transit of Mercury
will take place in three
weeks: on 2019 November 11.
Astrophysicists:
Browse 2,000+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mercury - Sun - transit
Publications with words: Mercury - Sun - transit
See also:
- APOD: 2024 September 16 Á Mercurys Vivaldi Crater from BepiColombo
- APOD: 2024 September 2 Á A Triangular Prominence Hovers Over the Sun
- APOD: 2024 August 18 Á A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO
- APOD: 2024 August 4 Á Gaia: Here Comes the Sun
- APOD: 2024 July 28 Á Sun Dance
- Prominences and Filaments on the Active Sun
- APOD: 2024 May 28 Á Solar X Flare as Famous Active Region Returns