# Anyone going to view the transit of Mercury next week? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 2, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-going-to-view-the-transit-of-mercury-next-week/378804 "2006-11-02T00:42:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-going-to-view-the-transit-of-mercury-next-week/378804/1 "2006-11-02T00:42:11Z")
The whole transit [will be visible](http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/image1/TM2006Nov08-Fig2.GIF) from eastern Australia on Thursday morning (9 November). I’ve just booked at the observatory for a package including a talk from the chief astronomer, the viewing and a breakfast in the gardens. Not bad for $22! ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-going-to-view-the-transit-of-mercury-next-week/378804/2 "2006-11-02T01:36:25Z")
Naw. I was disillusioned by that whole transit of Venus thing a few years back. I’m betting the much smaller Mercury will be make for less exciting viewing. Make sure you have a tough question for the chief astronomer dude; I met him at the Interntional Planetarium Society conference a few months back, and he conforms to ALL the stereotypes. Hoo. Have fun! ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-going-to-view-the-transit-of-mercury-next-week/378804/3 "2006-11-02T02:14:40Z")
The pickings for these November transits are usually pretty slim up here in the North. I see that this transit _will_ be visible in the afternoon from the US, but where I live it’s cloudy so often in November that the odds are against seeing anything. Besides which I have to work . . . I see there’s a May transit coming up in 2016; if I ever see one, that will probably be it. The Venus transit in 2004 was way cool–you could see it through Mylar-filtered binoculars. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-going-to-view-the-transit-of-mercury-next-week/378804/4 "2006-11-09T01:42:44Z")
It was all a bit of a fizzer here. It’s been overcast all morning. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-going-to-view-the-transit-of-mercury-next-week/378804/5 "2006-11-09T03:50:36Z")
Bummer–against all odds, it was a beautiful, clear day here. But since I hadn’t made arrangements to take off work and find someone with a telescope, there was nothing I could do. I’ll definitely catch the one in 2016. That’s what I like about astronomy–you have to plan on long time scales! ---
**Author:** ![SiouxChief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@SiouxChief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiouxChief)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-going-to-view-the-transit-of-mercury-next-week/378804/6 "2006-11-09T05:06:18Z")
There are some downloadable timelapse movies of the transit [here](http://www.astroday.net/MercTransit06.html). I have one thing to say. Dayyum that sun is big compared to mercury. Who knew? 😛