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swampwiz
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I was reading about the upcoming transit in May, 2019, and this fact seems quite peculiar. Is there some type of resonance?
Why do transits of Mercury only occur in May & November?
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In summary, the upcoming transit of Mercury in May 2019 is a peculiar event due to the stable crossing of its orbital plane with the ecliptic reference, similar to the necessary alignment for an eclipse. This phenomenon is affected by the precession of Mercury's orbital nodes, which causes the average date of transits to increase by about 1.1 degrees per century, resulting in a shift of approximately one month every 3,000 years.
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DaveC426913
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Have a read here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Mercury
And see if any of your questions aren't answered.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Mercury
And see if any of your questions aren't answered.
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swampwiz
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DaveC426913 said:
That's the article I had read. It doesn't explain it clearly; however, I suppose that if the orbital plane of Mercury were considered to be the ecliptic reference, and that plane is stable with respect to the Earth's orbital plane, then as it stands, these planes cross in May & November (this would seem to be something that would change with precession, but that seems to have a very long time period?), essentially like draconic nodes necessary for the Earth-Moon-Sun syzygy to be an eclipse. Is this the reason?
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DaveC426913
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"... The average date for a transit increases over centuries as a result of the longitude of the nodes of Mercury's orbit increasing by about 1.1 deg per century..."swampwiz said:
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swampwiz
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DaveC426913 said:"... The average date for a transit increases over centuries as a result of the longitude of the nodes of Mercury's orbit increasing by about 1.1 deg per century..."
So that means it would take about 3K years to move a month away. OK, this question has been answered!
1. Why do transits of Mercury only occur in May & November?
Transits of Mercury occur when the planet passes directly between the Earth and the Sun. This can only happen when Mercury is in its orbit between the Earth and the Sun, which occurs during the months of May and November. This is due to the relative positions and orbits of the three bodies in our solar system.
2. Can transits of Mercury occur at any time of the year?
No, transits of Mercury can only occur when the planet is in its orbit between the Earth and the Sun. This means that transits can only occur during specific months when Mercury's orbit aligns with the Earth and the Sun.
3. How often do transits of Mercury occur?
Transits of Mercury occur approximately 13 times per century. This is because Mercury's orbit is tilted in relation to the Earth's orbit, so it is not in the correct position for a transit to occur every time it passes between the Earth and the Sun.
4. Are transits of Mercury visible from all locations on Earth?
No, transits of Mercury are only visible from certain locations on Earth. This is because the Earth's rotation and tilt affect the visibility of the transit. Transits are typically only visible from a specific region of the Earth, and the visibility can also depend on weather conditions.
5. Why is it important to study transits of Mercury?
Studying transits of Mercury can provide valuable information about the planet's atmosphere, composition, and surface. It also allows scientists to better understand the dynamics of our solar system and how the planets interact with each other. Additionally, transits can be used to refine our knowledge of Mercury's orbit and improve our understanding of the universe.
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