Media Information
 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
A Planet Transits the Sun
Explanation:
Today an astronomical event will occur that no living person has ever seen: Venus will cross [ http://sunearth.gsf…] directly in front of the Sun. A Venus crossing [ http://sunearth.gsf…], called a transit, last occurred in 1882 and was front-page [ http://image.gsfc.n…] news [ http://image.gsfc.n…] around the world. Today's transit will be visible [ http://skyandtelesc…] in its entirety throughout Europe and most of Asia and Africa. The northeastern half of North America [ http://science.nasa…] will see the Sun rise with the dark dot of Venus [ http://www.saao.ac.…] already superposed. Never look directly at the Sun [ http://sunearth.gsf…], even when Venus is in front [ http://image.gsfc.n…]. Mercury's closer proximity to the Sun cause it to transit every few years. In fact, the above image mosaic of Mercury crossing the Sun [ http://www.space.co…] is from two [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] transits [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] ago [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], in November 1999. Will anyone living see the next Venus transit [ http://www.astronom…]? Surely yes since it occurs in 2012.
Credit and Copyright:
Ronald F. Dantowitz [ mailto: dantowitz at dexter.org ] (The Clay Center [ http://www.claycent…])
facet_when:
1882
facet_when:
2012
facet_when:
November 1999
facet_where:
Mercury
facet_where:
Venus
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_what:
Sun
facet_what:
Mercury
facet_what:
Venus
facet_what:
YES
facet_when_year:
1999
facet_when_year:
2012
facet_when_year:
1882
original url:
http://antwrp.gsfc.…
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap040608

A Planet Transits the Sun
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