Download Mercury Transits on 9th May-2016

A date with Mercury over Sun - Mercury Transits on
Monday, 9th May 2016
A rare celestial event to explore the inner planet
‘Astronomy teaches us to look upwards.’ It is the study and understanding of the universe
beyond the planet Earth. It is impossible for anyone to rival the magnificence of universe. The
astronomical bodies viz., Planets, Comets, Asteroids, Meteors, Nebulae, Stars and celestial
manifestations like eclipses, occultations, transits, oppositions and planetary conjunctions
absolutely reveal the magnanimity of astronomy.
Come 9th May this year, It’s a Monday and it’s the day of Transit of Mercury over the Sun. It
would be a rare celestial spectacular event to be seen on our sky that will definitely creates
excitement and curiosity to explore more.
A ‘Transit’ is principally the passage of a celestial object (usually this presents a smaller angular
size) in front of another object, presents a much larger angular size, as seen from Earth. In
other words, a small celestial object will pass in front of a huge celestial object. On 9th May, it is
possible to witness the planet ‘Mercury’ passing in front of the massive and dazzling heavenly
object ‘Sun.’
Passages of Mercury in front of the Sun, or "Mercury Transits" in astronomical terminology, are
comparatively rare events, due to the different orbital inclinations of the Earth and Mercury as
they move around the Sun.
On Monday, May 9, 2016 Mercury will transit the Sun for the first time since 2006. The transit or
passage of a planet across the face of the Sun is a relatively rare occurrence. As seen from
Earth, only transits of Mercury and Venus are possible.
During a transit, Mercury is seen as a tiny black dot moving slowly in an East-to-West direction
across the Sun. The 2016 transit commences on 9th May at 4.30 pm and ends later during the
midnight. The total duration is therefore about 7½ hours.
As per our sky, the transit of Mercury will be visible from 4.30 pm till the sun set at 7.11 pm. Till
6.30 pm, we can see the 1/4th of the transit process.
The planet Mercury crosses the Sun in a North-east to South-west direction, as opposed to a
South-east to North-west direction at the previous transit in November 2006. This is because
May and November transits of Mercury are viewed from opposite sides of the Earth's orbit,
Mercury being seen descending (moving North to South) during May transits and ascending
(moving South to North) during November transits.
There are about 13 Mercury transits each century and they follow in time intervals of
approximately 13, 7, 10 and 3 years. The most recent one took place in November 8, 2006.
After 2016, the next two Mercury transits will take place on 11th November 2019 and 13th
November 2032. The 11th November 2019 transit will not be visible to India.
The disk of Mercury is very small and will be very difficult to see. Bathed in intense sunlight, this
small, hot planet moves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit at a mean distance of only 58
million km, much closer to the Sun than other inner planet, Venus (108 million km) and the Earth
(150 million km).
In order for a Mercury transit to happen, the planet must be located directly between the Earth
and the Sun and also near one of the two points in its orbit where Mercury's orbital plane
intersects that of the Earth. We then face the dark side of Mercury - the hemisphere that is not
illuminated by the Sun - and see it as a small dark spot moving across the bright solar disk.
A powerful telescope is needed to observe this event and to show clearly how Mercury moves
across the solar disk. During the transit, Mercury will only block 1/20,000th of the Sun's
light.
The German astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was the first person to predict a Mercury
transit event, although he did not observe one himself. His prediction of a transit on November
7th 1631 enabled the French mathematician and astronomer Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655) to
observe it, in the year following Kepler's death.
Observations of the transit
The Transit of Mercury cannot be observed with naked eye - this would also be extremely
dangerous because the enormous brightness of the Sun will cause total blindness in a fraction
of a second.
Observations can only be made by means of telescopes which project the solar image onto a
white screen. Solar filters can be used to have a glimpse of the transit. Other hands on projects
including pin-hole camera can be used to project the transit picture for observation.
Gujarat Science City will arrange special events on this occasion. Gujarat Council on Science &
Technology (GUJCOST) has also arranges public viewing programmes at its Community
Science Centers and Science Club Schools at each districts in the State.
As the programme doesn't happen often, the Science City and Community Science Centres
across the State will guide you to "spot the spot" — Mercury's silhouette — as the innermost
planet crosses the Sun's disk.
GUJCOST is organizing training workshops for science educators, communicators and amateur
astronomers to orient them about the upcoming Transit of Mercury.
Special activity modules have been designed to explore and understanding the inner planet and
its behaviour.
-
Dr. Narottam Sahoo
Advisor, GUJCOST
T
Transit
it off Mercury
M
May 9, 2016 | Monday
A unique Science Discovery Programme
Gujarat Council of Science City
Gujarat Council on Science & Technology
Dept off Science & Technology,
h l
Govt off Gujarat
Transit of Mercury
• Astronomy teach us to look upwards. It is the study
and understanding of the universe beyond the planet
E th
Earth.
• It is impossible for anyone to rival the magnificence of
universe.
universe
• The astronomical bodies viz., Planets, Comets,
Asteroids,, Meteors,, Nebulae,, Stars and celestial
manifestations like eclipses, occultations, transits,
oppositions and planetary conjunctions absolutely
reveall th
the magnanimity
i it off astronomy.
t
Mercury: The wandering star
Mercury:
y The wanderingg star
• Named after Mercury, the
Roman god of commerce
and delivering messages
• His name comes from the
Latin word "mercari"
meaning to deal or trade.
• The planet was named
Mercury because it
appeared to move faster in
the sky than any other
planet. We now know that
this was because of its small
orbit.
Mercury:
y The wanderingg star
Average distance from Sun:
0 3871 AU (57
0.3871
(57,910,000
910 000 km/35
km/35,980,000
980 000 mi)
Length of Year:
88 days
Rotation
o a o pe
period:
od
58.65
58
65 days
Mean orbital velocity:
48 km/s (30 mi/s)
Inclination of axis:
2°
Average temperature:
800° F (427° C) day
-300° F (-183° C) night
Diameter:
4,878 km (3,031 mi)
Number of observed satellites:
0
Magnetic field
weak
Mercury:
y The wanderingg star
• Mercury is one of the five planets known to the
ancients. They called these planets "wandering stars".
• Mercury may be seen as an evening "star" near
where
h
th
the sun h
has set,
t or as a morning
i ""star"
t " near
where the sun will rise.
• The ancient Greeks called the evening star Hermes
and the morning star Apollo, believing them to be
different objects.
• The planet is named for Mercury, the Roman
messenger of the gods.
Mercury: The wandering star
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mercury is not much bigger than our
Moon. It is the smallest planet.
It is so close to the Sun that it can be
seen only in the twilight sky of the
Earth.
The hazy atmosphere near the horizon
on Earth spoils the view of Mercury for
ground-based telescopes.
Closest distance to Earth – 77 million
km
Farthest distance from Earth – 222
million km
Mass – 3.3 X 1023 kg
Density – 5.43 g/cm3
Earth-based telescopic photo off Mercury taken from
f
Catalina Observatory 1.5 meter (61 inch) telescope.
EARTH
MERCURY
MOON
Mercury’s diameter is 4,880 km. That’s
40% smaller than Earth and 40% larger
than the moon
Mercury’s density is
similar to that of Earth’s at
5 42 gm/cm^3
5.42
/ ^3
Rocky
mantle
Mercury’s
core is
75% of its
mass, and
d
consists of
iron and
molten
lava
Scientists think
Scientists think Mercury’s dipolar magnetic field is
produced by its partially molten core.
Mercury Orbital Facts
Until 1965, scientists thought that the same side of Mercury always
faced the Sun.
• Mercury takes only 88
Earth days to complete one
orbit
• Rotates slowly, once every
59 Earth days.
y
• This means that it rotates
precisely three times for
every two orbits
More Orbital Facts…
• orbits the Sun in a highly elliptical orbit at about one third of
the Sun
Sun-Earth
Earth distance
distance.
• 46 million kilometers from the Sun at perihelion (closest),
70 million kilometers away at aphelion (furthest).
• Rotates vertically, so Mercury does not have opposite
seasons in each hemisphere like Earth does.
• “Seasonal” temperatures vary with distance from the sun.
• Extremelyy hot days
y and veryy cold nights.
g
Mercury
y has very
y
little atmosphere so the surface cools down rapidly on the
night side.
Mercury’s
y Atmosphere
• Mercury has almost no atmosphere and no water.
• The trace gases (oxygen, sodium, helium) that are
there are made up of atoms or ions blasted off its
surface by the solar wind.
• Mercury's extreme surface temperature enhances the
escape of these volatile atoms into space.
• No erosion from wind or water.
• Might
g have water ice at its north and south p
poles inside
craters where the sun cannot reach.
• Meteorites do not burn up due to friction because there
is no atmosphere.
Mercury Transit 2016
• There are about 13
Mercury transits each
century and they
follow in time
intervals of
approximately 13, 7,
10 and 3 years. The
most recent one took
place in November 8,
2006.
Facts of Mercury Transit 2016
• During transit period, Mercury will only block 1/20,000th
of the Sun's light.
• The
Th G
German astronomer JJohannes
h
K
Kepler
l (1571
(1571-1630)
1630)
was the first person to predict a Mercury transit event,
although he did not observe one himself. His prediction of
a transit on November 7th 1631 enabled the French
mathematician and astronomer Pierre Gassendi (15921655) to observe it,
it in the year following Kepler's
Kepler s death
death.
Mercury Transit 2016 visibility
Transit of Mercury
Image of May 7, 2003 Mercury Transit was taken by NASA/ESA's SOHO (Solar & Heliospheric Observatory)
Transit of Mercury
Transit of Mercury on
November 8,2006.
8 2006
Sunspot #923, which is
just below the equator
att th
the lleft-hand
ft h d side,
id iis
much bigger than
Mercury is. Two more
sunspots at the righthand side at the
equator Mercury
equator.
appears as a small black
dot in the lower middle
off th
the solar
l di
disk.
k
Transit of Mercury
Next transit: May 9, 2016
Mercury Transit 2016
The total duration of the transit will be about 7½ hours.
Mercury Transit 2016
ANIMATION
Mercury Transit 2016
Mercury Transit 2016
Mercury Transit 2016
Have a safe and pleasant viewing!
THANK YOU!