Mercury Passing Before the Sun
Do you know what mercury is? It's a little planet that's much smaller than Earth. And you know what the sun is, right? Well, sometimes Mercury passes between the sun and Earth. It's kinda like when you stand in front of a lamp and someone else stands behind you - they can't see the lamp anymore because you're blocking it.
When Mercury passes in front of the sun, we call it a transit. It looks like a tiny black dot moving slowly across the sun's bright surface. But you should NEVER look directly at the sun, even during a transit. It's very dangerous and can hurt your eyes. Special telescopes and filters are needed to observe a transit safely.
A transit is a rare event because Mercury's orbit around the sun is smaller than Earth's, so it doesn't happen every day. In fact, the last one occurred in 2019 and the next one won't happen until 2032. So, it's a special and exciting time for scientists who study planets and the sun.
When Mercury passes in front of the sun, we call it a transit. It looks like a tiny black dot moving slowly across the sun's bright surface. But you should NEVER look directly at the sun, even during a transit. It's very dangerous and can hurt your eyes. Special telescopes and filters are needed to observe a transit safely.
A transit is a rare event because Mercury's orbit around the sun is smaller than Earth's, so it doesn't happen every day. In fact, the last one occurred in 2019 and the next one won't happen until 2032. So, it's a special and exciting time for scientists who study planets and the sun.