Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Transit of Mercury
NASA ^ | Thursday, May 12, 2016 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 05/12/2016 4:52:01 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Explanation: On May 9, the diminutive disk of Mercury spent about seven and a half hours crossing in front of the Sun as viewed from the general vicinity of Earth. It was the second of 14 transits of the Solar System's innermost planet in the 21st century. Captured from Fulham, London, England, planet Earth the tiny silhouette shares the enormous solar disk with prominences, filaments, and active regions in this sharp image. But Mercury's round disk (left of center) appears to be the only dark spot, despite the planet-sized sunspots scattered across the Sun. Made with an H-alpha filter that narrowly transmits the red light from hydrogen atoms, the image emphasizes the chromosphere, stretching above the photosphere or normally visible solar surface. In H-alpha pictures of the chromosphere, normally dark sunspot regions are dominated by bright splotches called plages.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; mercury; mercuryintransit; science
[Credit and Copyright: Howard Brown-Greaves]

1 posted on 05/12/2016 4:52:01 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; disndat; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
The Big One

2 posted on 05/12/2016 4:52:44 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; disndat; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
BTW, neglected to mention, the Big One will be fun for kids of all ages, NICE closeup.

3 posted on 05/12/2016 4:53:52 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Mercury diameter: 3,032 miles

Sun diameter: 864,300 miles


4 posted on 05/12/2016 5:03:04 AM PDT by Steely Tom (Vote GOP: A Slower Handbasket)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Thank you for the post and ping, Mr. Civilizations.

That is a truly spectacular image of Old Sol, and
the relative sizes of Mercury and the Sun.

Very nice indeed. ;-)


5 posted on 05/12/2016 5:12:08 AM PDT by TheOldLady
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

6 posted on 05/12/2016 5:15:33 AM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING ’VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeProBono; SunkenCiv

Planet sized sunspots? Where? I’ve only seen one in all of these photos.


7 posted on 05/12/2016 5:34:16 AM PDT by henkster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: henkster

8 posted on 05/12/2016 9:28:22 AM PDT by JoeProBono (SOME IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING ’VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED;-{)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

wow... can you imagine what the sum must look like in the sky there?


9 posted on 05/12/2016 9:30:18 AM PDT by Mr. K (Trump will win NY state - choke on that HilLIARy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

That is not a dark spot.
That is a bad pixel.......


10 posted on 05/12/2016 11:23:19 AM PDT by minnesota_bound
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson