A171466 Years in which a transit of Mercury (as seen from Earth) took place or is expected to occur, according to the catalog by Fred Espenak.

1605, 1615, 1618, 1628, 1631, 1644, 1651, 1661, 1664, 1674, 1677, 1690, 1697, 1707, 1710, 1723, 1736, 1740, 1743, 1753, 1756, 1769, 1776, 1782, 1786, 1789, 1799, 1802, 1815, 1822, 1832, 1835, 1845, 1848, 1861, 1868, 1878, 1881, 1891, 1894, 1907, 1914, 1924, 1927, 1937, 1940, 1953, 1957, 1960, 1970, 1973, 1986, 1993, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2016, 2019, 2032, 2039, 2049, 2052, 2062, 2065, 2078, 2085, 2095, 2098, 2108, 2111, 2124, 2131, 2141, 2144, 2154, 2157, 2170, 2174, 2177, 2187, 2190, 2203, 2210, 2220, 2223, 2233, 2236, 2249, 2256, 2266, 2269, 2279, 2282, 2295

Offset

1,1

Comments

A transit is a kind of eclipse, in which a planet is seen to "transit" across the sun. The transiting planet appears as a small black dot slowly making its way across the sun's area.

Transits are predictable events, but certain characteristics of the orbit of Mercury in relation to the orbit of Earth complicate the pattern. For those years in which a Mercury transit occurs, it occurs in either May or November. Each transit is separated by 3.5, 7, 9.5, 10 or 13 years. Barring any significant changes to the orbits of the planets in the solar system, the predicted transits should occur as expected.

Links

Table of n, a(n) for n=1..94.

Fred Espenak, Transits of Mercury: Seven Century Catalog, 1601 CE to 2300 CE Provides detailed time and place data as well as some explanations specific to Mercury transits.

Amy Simon-Miller, Planetary Transits Across the Sun. Provides a general explanation of the concept of planetary transits and links to many more resources on the topic.

Crossrefs

For years of Venus transits, see A171467. Venus transits occur less often than Mercury transits.

Sequence in context: A352092 A252439 A224949 * A205267 A210364 A224947

Adjacent sequences: A171463 A171464 A171465 * A171467 A171468 A171469

Keyword

nonn

Author

Paul Muljadi, Dec 09 2009

Extensions

With data from NASA, terms verified by Alonso del Arte Dec 10 2009

Status

approved