( click to enlarge ) Date: 09-11-2006 Place: Tuen Mun  Equipment: Digital Camera , F/10, 1/800 seconds exposure (Telescope Direct Focus)

Mercury is an inferior planet of the Solar System. Whenever it comes between the Earth and the Sun, the tiny silhouette of Mercury will be found passing the Sun’s disc slowly. This phenomenon is called the transit of Mercury. After 2003, another Transit of Mercury will occur on 9 November, 2006. However, as the Sun is still below the horizon during the ingress, Hong Kong people can only witness the ending part of the event after sunrise. On average, there are 13 transits of Mercury each century. The next occurence will be in 2016 and 2019, both invisible from Hong Kong.

As one needs to see the Sun in order to observe the transit, precaution must be taken. Never look directly at the Sun with your naked eyes. It can cause permanent eye damage or even blindness.