Transit of Mercury...This transit of Mercury will be visible across all of Africa by simply using a...
1
DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN THROUGH THE TELESCOPE OR WITH YOUR NAKED EYES!! If you do, you will permanently damage your eyes and possibly even go blind. Only look at the transit indirectly by looking at the projection on the paper. This is the safest way to witness this rare event. Contact your nearest university, science centre or amateur astronomy club to locate the nearest venue where you can see the transit safely. On 11th November 2019, the planet Mercury will pass in front of the Sun. This transit of Mercury will be visible across all of Africa by simply using a small telescope. It will take the planet 5.5 hours to move completely across the disc of the Sun, starting at 14:35 (2:35 pm). The Sun will have already started to set by the time Mercury reaches the mid-point of its transit, depending on your location. (Sunset in Johannesburg will be at 18:31 (6:31 pm) and Cape Town at 19:23 (7:23 pm)) Transits are rare Transits like these are rare as Mercury’s orbit is at an angle to that of the Earth. For example, the last time Mercury transited the Sun was in May 2016 and the next one will only be on 13 November 2032. Please note, however, that in order to see the transit, you must take some serious precautions. You can watch Mercury transit the Sun but YOU MUST BE CAREFUL! • Firstly, you will need a telescope (a small one with metal (not plastic) parts will do). You won’t be able to see the transit with binoculars or spotting scope as they are not powerful enough. • Secondly, you will need a sheet of clean paper on which to project the image of the Sun through the telescope. email: [email protected] tel SAAO: +2721 447 0025 Transit of Mercury 11 November 2019
Transcript of Transit of Mercury...This transit of Mercury will be visible across all of Africa by simply using a...
-
DO N
OT L
OOK
DIRE
CTLY
AT
THE
SUN
THR
OUGH
THE
TEL
ESCO
PE
OR W
ITH
YOUR
NAK
ED E
YES!
!
If yo
u do
, you
will
perm
anen
tly d
amag
e yo
ur e
yes
and
poss
ibly
even
go
blin
d. O
nly
look
at t
he tr
ansit
indi
rect
ly by
look
ing
at th
e pr
ojec
tion
on th
e pa
per.
This
is th
e sa
fest
way
to w
itnes
s th
is ra
re e
vent
. Co
ntac
t you
r nea
rest
uni
vers
ity, s
cien
ce c
entre
or a
mat
eur a
stro
nom
y cl
ub to
lo
cate
the
near
est v
enue
whe
re y
ou c
an s
ee th
e tra
nsit
safe
ly.
On 1
1th
Nove
mbe
r 201
9, th
e pl
anet
Mer
cury
will
pass
in
front
of t
he S
un. T
his
trans
it of
Mer
cury
will
be v
isibl
e ac
ross
all o
f Afri
ca b
y sim
ply
usin
g a
smal
l tel
esco
pe.
It w
ill ta
ke th
e pl
anet
5.5
hou
rs to
mov
e co
mpl
etel
y ac
ross
the
disc
of t
he S
un, s
tarti
ng a
t 14:
35 (2
:35
pm).
The
Sun
will
have
alre
ady
star
ted
to s
et b
y th
e tim
e M
ercu
ry re
ache
s
the
mid
-poi
nt o
f its
tran
sit, d
epen
ding
on
your
loca
tion.
(Sun
set i
n Jo
hann
esbu
rg w
ill be
at 1
8:31
(6:3
1 pm
) and
Cape
Tow
n at
19:
23 (7
:23
pm))
Tran
sits
are
rare
Tran
sits
like
thes
e ar
e ra
re a
s M
ercu
ry’s
orbi
t is
at a
n an
gle
to th
at o
f the
Ear
th. F
or e
xam
ple,
the
last
tim
e M
ercu
ry
trans
ited
the
Sun
was
in M
ay 2
016
and
the
next
one
will
only
be o
n 13
Nov
embe
r 203
2.
Plea
se n
ote,
how
ever
, tha
t in
orde
r to
see
the
tran
sit,
you
mus
t tak
e so
me
serio
us p
reca
utio
ns. Y
ou c
an
wat
ch M
ercu
ry tr
ansi
t the
Sun
but
YOU
MUS
T BE
CARE
FUL!
• Fi
rstly
, you
will
need
a te
lesc
ope
(a s
mal
l one
with
met
al
(not
pla
stic
) par
ts w
ill do
). Yo
u w
on’t
be a
ble
to s
ee th
e
trans
it w
ith b
inoc
ular
s or
spo
tting
sco
pe a
s th
ey
are
not p
ower
ful e
noug
h.
• Se
cond
ly, y
ou w
ill ne
ed a
she
et o
f cle
an
pape
r on
whi
ch to
pro
ject
the
imag
e of
the
Sun
thro
ugh
the
tele
scop
e.
emai
l: m
ercu
rytra
nsit.
sa@
gmai
l.com
tel S
AAO:
+27
21 4
47 0
025
Tran
sit o
f Mer
cury
11
Nove
mbe
r 201
9
