MadSci Network: Astronomy |
Dear Ashley,
You asked a very good question! Average people know that the moon
casts its shadow on our Earth during an eclipse. But you know that Mercury
and Venus, the two planets closer to the Sun than us, can also cast a
shadow. Because those planets are so far away, so small and the sun is so
large, from Earth we see "transits" as they cross the sun's disk. The most
recent event was the transit of Mercury on 15 Nov 1999. Check out these
NASA web sites for images and details.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991210.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991119.html
These are Astronomy Pictures of the Day. You can make them your home page and learn astronomy every day!
J. S. Foerch
James C. Veen Observatory
Lowell, Michigan, USA
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Astronomy.