Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2019 October 21

                   A Mercury Transit Music Video from SDO
     Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Genna Duberstein;
                       Music: Encompass by Mark Petrie

   Explanation: What's that small black dot moving across the Sun?
   Mercury. Possibly the clearest view of Mercury crossing in front of the
   Sun in 2016 May was from Earth orbit. The Solar Dynamics Observatory
   obtained an uninterrupted vista recording it not only in optical light
   but also in bands of ultraviolet light. Featured here is a composite
   movie of the crossing set to music. Although the event might prove
   successful scientifically for better determining components of Mercury'
   ultra-thin atmosphere, the event surely proved successful culturally by
   involving people throughout the world in observing a rare astronomical
   phenomenon. Many spectacular images of this Mercury transit from around
   (and above) the globe were proudly displayed. The next transit of
   Mercury will take place in three weeks: on 2019 November 11.

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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
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--- mgpost