texas

Transit of Mercury Across the Sun
Special Viewing Event

Mercury transiting the Sun

(Photo from the 2016 transit)

 

November 11, 2019

** The transit viewing at the PMA solar telescope has
been cancelled due to clouds **

Check out Space.com for links to live streams

 

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Maps to PMA and Parking Garages

Additional parking information, including garage rates

This webpage and the 512-232-4265 phone line will be
updated the morning of the 11th if there are concerns about weather.

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More information about the event:

A transit is when a planet moves in front of the Sun (or other star in the case of other solar systems) from the observer's point of view. From Earth, we see transits of both Mercury and Venus, although they do not happen with every orbit of the inner planets. For Venus, the transits are rare, with the last occuring in June 2012 and next in December 2117. Transits of Mercury are more common, with the last one occuring in 2016 and the next one after this year's will occur in 2032.

Mercury will already be in transit when the sun rises in Austin. To view the sun in the PMA heliostat it will need to rise high enough to clear the fenceline on the 14th floor, so viewing will start about 90 minutes after sunrise.

 

transit diagram