Mercury Transit of the Sun Paper Plate

A transit of Mercury across the solar disc happens when the planet Mercury passes between the Sun and the Earth. It’s a solar eclipse, but instead of blocking out the Sun’s brightness, Mercury appears as a tiny black dot that moves across the face of the Sun. This is because Mercury is so much further from the Earth than the Moon and does not produce an eclipse large enough to see with the unaided eye. In fact, Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, while Earth is the third planet of the Solar System. Transits of Mercury occur in May and November, with the latest on November 11, 2019 and the next on November 13, 2032. They can be observed through a telescope or binoculars that have proper solar filtering to protect your eyesight.