Latest Transit of Mercury Stories

Lee Rannals for RedOrbit.com In two more weeks, the Earth will get to view a spectacle that hasn't been seen in eight years, and will not be seen again until 2117. Venus will pass across the face of the sun, producing a tiny silhouette, like a small freckle on a face. The 7-hour transit will be observed on all seven continents on Tuesday, June 5, starting at 5:09 p.m. Central Time. The transits of Venus first gained popularity back in the 18th century, a time when the solar system...

On Wednesday, Mercury will pass directly between the Sun and the Earth. The innermost planet will be seen not as a bright point in the sky but as a tiny black dot, silhouetted against the brilliant surface of the Sun. Although this spectacle is not visible from Europe, the ESA-NASA solar satellite SOHO will be watching. Such a crossing is known as a transit. From Earth's vantage point, only Mercury and Venus transit the Sun, because these are the only planets inside Earth's orbit. In the...