In this July, 1997 still frame captured from video, the bright star Aldebaran has just reappeared on the dark limb of the waning crescent moon in this predawn occultation.

An occultation is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object is hidden by another celestial object that passes between it and the observer. Compared to astronomical transits and eclipses, an occultation is said to occur when the nearer object appears larger and completely hides the more distant object. In contrast, the word transit refers to cases where the nearer object appears considerably smaller in apparent size than the more distant object, such as transit of Mercury or Venus across the Sun's disk. The word eclipse generally refers to those instances in which one object moves into the shadow of another. Each of these three events is the visible effect of a syzygy. Occultation of Aldebaran File links The following pages link to this file: Occultation ... Occultation of Aldebaran File links The following pages link to this file: Occultation ... Radio telescopes are among many different tools used by astronomers Astronomy (Greek: αστρονομία = άστρον + νόμος, astronomia = astron + nomos, literally, law of the stars) is the science of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the Earths atmosphere, such as stars, planets, comets, auroras, galaxies, and the cosmic background radiation. ... Deimos transits the Sun, as seen by Mars Rover Opportunity on March 4, 2004 The word transit has two meanings in astronomy: A transit is the astronomical event that occurs when one celestial body appears to move across the face of another celestial body, as seen by an observer at... The French 1999 eclipse An eclipse (Greek verb: ekleipô, to vanish) is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. ... Deimos transits the Sun, as seen by Mars Rover Opportunity on March 4, 2004 The word transit has two meanings in astronomy: A transit is the astronomical event that occurs when one celestial body appears to move across the face of another celestial body, as seen by an observer at... Note: This article contains special characters. ... (*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ... The Sun is the star at the center of Earths solar system. ... The French 1999 eclipse An eclipse (Greek verb: ekleipô, to vanish) is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. ... Syzygy may refer to any one of several different concepts or things, many of which ultimately derive their meaning from the Greek σύζῠγος (syzygos), yoked together. ...

Every time an occultation occurs, an eclipse also occurs. Consider a so-called "eclipse" of the Sun by the Moon, as seen from Earth. In this event, the Moon physically moves between Earth and the Sun, thus blocking out a portion or all of the bright disk of the Sun. Although this phenomenon is usually referred to as an "eclipse", this term is a misnomer, because the Moon is not eclipsing the Sun; instead the Moon is occulting the Sun. When the Moon occults the Sun, it casts a small shadow on the surface of the Earth, and therefore the Moon's shadow is partially eclipsing Earth. So a so-called "solar eclipse" actually consists of (i) an occultation of the Sun by the Moon, as seen from Earth, and (ii) a partial eclipse of Earth by the Moon's shadow. The French 1999 eclipse An eclipse (Greek verb: ekleipô, to vanish) is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. ... The French 1999 eclipse An eclipse (Greek verb: ekleipô, to vanish) is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow of another. ...

By contrast, an "eclipse" of the Moon is in fact a true eclipse: the Moon moves into the shadow cast back into space by Earth, and is said to be eclipsed by Earth's shadow. As seen from the surface of the Moon, Earth passes directly between the Moon and the Sun, thus blocking or occulting the Sun as seen by a hypothetical lunar observer. Again, every eclipse also entails an occultation.

Occultations by the Moon

The term occultation is most frequently used to describe those relatively frequent occasions when the Moon passes in front of a star during the course of its orbital motion around the Earth. Since the Moon has no atmosphere and stars have no appreciable angular size, a star that is occulted by the moon will disappear or reappear very nearly instantaneously on the moon's edge, or limb. Events that take place on the Moon's dark limb are of particular interest to observers, because the lack of glare allows these occultations to more easily be observed and timed. Bulk composition of the moons mantle and crust estimated, weight percent Oxygen 42. ... The Pleiades star cluster A star is a massive body of plasma in outer space that is currently producing or has produced energy through nuclear fusion. ...

The Moon's orbit is inclined to the ecliptic (see Moon's orbit), and any stars with an ecliptic latitude of less than about 6.5 degrees may be occulted by it. There are three first magnitude stars that are sufficiently close to the ecliptic that they may be occulted by the Moon and by planets -- Regulus, Spica and Antares. Occultations of Aldebaran are presently only possible by the Moon, because the planets pass Aldebaran to the north. Neither planetary nor lunar occultations of Pollux are curently possible. However, in the far future, occultations of Aldebaran and Pollux will be possible, as they were in the far past. The plane of the ecliptic is well seen in this picture from the 1994 lunar prospecting Clementine spacecraft. ... Bulk composition of the moons mantle and crust estimated, weight percent Oxygen 42. ... Regulus (α Leo / α Leonis / Alpha Leonis) is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Spica (α Vir / α Virginis / Alpha Virginis) is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Antares (α Scorpii / Alpha Scorpii) is the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Comparison between Aldebaran and the Sun Aldebaran, (α Tau / α Tauri / Alpha Tauri), is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... In Greek mythology, Pollux or Polydeuces was one of the twin sons of Zeus, see Castor and Pollux Pollux is a bright star in the constellation Gemini. ...

Jupiter several minutes before it disappeared behind the moon on 6/7/2005 (taken from Nelson, New Zealand).

Within a mile or two of the edge of an occultation's predicted path, referred to as its northern or southern limit, an observer may see the star intermittently disappearing and reappearing as the irregular limb of the Moon moves past the star, creating what is known as a grazing occultation. From an observational and scientific standpoint, these "grazes" are the most dynamic and interesting of lunar occultations. Image File history File links Photo of Jupiter being occulted by the moon, taken on 6/7/2005 at about 6:10 PM in Nelson New Zealand (NZ Time) Taken with cheap digital camera through binoculars. ... Image File history File links Photo of Jupiter being occulted by the moon, taken on 6/7/2005 at about 6:10 PM in Nelson New Zealand (NZ Time) Taken with cheap digital camera through binoculars. ... An occultation is an astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object is hidden by another celestial object that passes between it and the observer. ...

The accurate timing of lunar occultations is performed regularly by (primarily amateur) astronomers. Lunar occultations timed to an accuracy of a few tenths of a second have various scientific uses, particularly in refining our knowledge of lunar topography. Photoelectric analysis of lunar occultations have also discovered some stars to be very close visual or spectroscopic binaries. Early radio astronomers found occultations of radio sources by the Moon valuable for determining their exact positions, because the long wavelength of radio waves limited the resolution available through direct observation. Artists impression of a binary star system consisting of a black hole, with an accretion disc around it, and a main sequence star. ...

Several times during the year, someone on Earth can usually observe the Moon occulting a planet. Since planets, unlike stars, have significant angular sizes, lunar occultations of planets will create a narrow zone on earth from which a partial occultation of the planet will occur. An observer located within that narrow zone could observe the planet's disk partly blocked by the slowly moving moon.

Occultation by planets

Stars may also be occulted by planets. In 1959, Venus occulted Regulus. Uranus' rings were first discovered when that planet occulted a star in 1977. On the evening of July 2-July 3, 1989, Saturn passed in front of the 5th magnitude star 28 Sagitarii. (*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ... Regulus (α Leo / α Leonis / Alpha Leonis) is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 120 kPa Hydrogen 83% Helium 15% Methane 1. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 140 kPa Hydrogen >93% Helium >5% Methane 0. ...

It is also possible for one planet to occult another planet. However, these mutual occultations of planets are extremely rare. The last such event occurred on January 3, 1818 and will next occur on November 22, 2065, in both cases involving the same two planets -- Venus and Jupiter. Technically speaking, when the foreground planet is smaller in apparent size than the background planet, the event should be called a "mutual planetary transit." When the foreground planet is larger in apparent size than the background planet, the event should be called a "mutual planetary occultation." (See Transit for a list of past and future events). January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... (Redirected from 2065) Millennia: 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium - 4th millennium Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century Decades: 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s 2050s - 2060s - 2070s 2080s 2090s Years: 2060 2061 2062 2063 2064 2065 2066 2067 2068 2069 The Decade as a Whole This decade is expected to be called... Deimos transits the Sun, as seen by Mars Rover Opportunity on March 4, 2004 The word transit has two meanings in astronomy: A transit is the astronomical event that occurs when one celestial body appears to move across the face of another celestial body, as seen by an observer at...

A grazing occultation of Rhea, a moon of Saturn, by another moon, Dione

Twice during the orbital cycles of Jupiter and Saturn, the equatorial (and satellite) planes of those planets are aligned with earth's orbital plane, resulting in a series of mutual occultations and eclipses between the moons of these giant planets. These orbital alignments have also occurred artificially when unmanned spacecraft have traversed these planetary systems, resulting in photographs such as the one shown here. The terms "eclipse," "occultation" and "transit" are also used to describe these events. A satellite of Jupiter (for example) may be eclipsed (i.e. made dimmer because it moves into Jupiter's shadow), occulted (i.e. hidden from view because Jupiter lies on our line of sight), or may transit (i.e. pass in front of) Jupiter's disk. Occulation of Rhea by Dione as seen from Cassini File links The following pages link to this file: Occultation User:Riffsyphon1024 Categories: NASA images ... Occulation of Rhea by Dione as seen from Cassini File links The following pages link to this file: Occultation User:Riffsyphon1024 Categories: NASA images ... Atmosphere none Rhea (ree-a, Greek ‘Ρέα) is the second largest moon of Saturn and was discovered in 1672 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 140 kPa Hydrogen >93% Helium >5% Methane 0. ... Atmosphere none Dione (dye-oe-nee, Greek Διώνη) is a moon of Saturn discovered by Giovanni Cassini in 1684. ...

BOSS

The Big Occulting Steerable Satellite is a proposed satellite that would work in conjunction with a telescope to detect planets around distant stars. The satellite consists of a large, very lightweight sheet, and a set of maneuvering thrusters and navigation systems. It would maneuver to a position along the line of sight between the telescope and a nearby star. The satellite would thereby block the radiation from the star, permitting the orbiting planets to be observed. A satellite is any object that orbits another object (which is known as its primary). ... 50 cm refracting telescope at Nice Observatory. ... A planet is generally considered to be a relatively large mass of accreted matter in orbit around a star. ...

The currently-planned satellite would have a dimension of 70 m × 70 m and maneuver by means of an ion drive engine in combination with using the sheet as a light sail. Positioned at a distance of 100,000 km from the telescope, it is expected to block more than 99.998% of the starlight. The satellite would have a mass of about 600 kg.

There are two possible configurations of this satellite. The first would work with a space telescope, most likely positioned near the Earth's L2 Lagrangian point. The second would place the satellite in a highly elliptical orbit about the Earth, and work in conjunction with a ground telescope. At the apogee of the orbit, the satellite would remain relatively stationary with respect to the ground, allowing longer exposure times. A space observatory is any object in outer space which is used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects. ... Earth (often referred to as The Earth) is the third planet in the solar system in terms of distance from the Sun, and the fifth in order of size. ... A contour plot of the effective potential of a two-body system (the Sun and Earth here), showing the 5 Lagrange points. ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ...

Occultations between 1800 and 2100

This table lists occultations of bright stars and planets by solar planets.

These events are not visible everywhere the occulting body and the occulted body are above the skyline. Some events are barely visible, because they take place in close proximity to the Sun. December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... --69. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Acrab (also known as El Acrab or Graffias) is the proper name name of the star β Xi Scorpii 5 in the constellation of Scorpio. ... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... (*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ... The Bayer designation Xi Sagittarii (ξ Sgr / ξ Sagittarii) is shared by two stars, ξ¹ Sagittarii and ξ² Sagittarii, in the constellation Sagittarius. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Bayer designation Delta Tauri (δ Tau / δ Tauri) is shared by three star systems in the constellation Taurus. ... July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... | Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Tejat Prior is the designation of the star Eta Geminorum. ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... take you to calendar). ... Electra is the name of the star 17 Tauri lain in the pleiads. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Zaniah is the designation of the fixed star Eta Virginis. ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Kaus Borealis (elbow, north) is the name for the star? Sagittarii (Lambda Sagittarii). ... May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Mebsuta (stretching) is the designation of the Epsilon Geminorum. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 140 kPa Hydrogen >93% Helium >5% Methane 0. ... Wasat is the name of the star Delta Geminorum in the constellation of twins. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Alpha Librae (α Lib / α Librae) is the second brightest star in the constellation Libra (despite its Bayer designation as alpha). It also has the traditional name Zubenelgenubi. ... July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Regulus (α Leo / α Leonis / Alpha Leonis) is the brightest star in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 95 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nunki is the σ star in the constellation of Sagittarius Nunki (Bayer designation Sigma Sagittarii) is the second brightest star in the constellation Sagittarius. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century Decades: 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s - 2030s - 2040s 2050s 2060s 2070s 2080s Years: 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 - 2035 - 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040 The year 2035 (MMXXXV) in the Gregorian Calendar corresponds to 5785-5786 in the Hebrew Calendar. ... Albaldah is the name of the star pi Sagittarii. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2044 (MMXLIV) is a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century Decades: 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s - 2040s - 2050s 2060s 2070s 2080s 2090s Years: 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 - 2046 - 2047 2048 2049 2046 Predicted events World coal supply presumed to peak. ... The Bayer designation Rho Sagittarii (ρ Sgr / ρ Sagittarii) is shared by two stars, ρ¹ Sagittarii and ρ² Sagittarii, in the constellation Sagittarius. ... November 10 is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 51 days remaining. ... (Redirected from 2052) (20th century - 21st century - 22nd century - other centuries) Definition In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing, lasting from 2000-2099. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... (Redirected from 2065) Millennia: 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium - 4th millennium Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century Decades: 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s 2050s - 2060s - 2070s 2080s 2090s Years: 2060 2061 2062 2063 2064 2065 2066 2067 2068 2069 The Decade as a Whole This decade is expected to be called... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... (Redirected from 2067) Millennia: 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium - 4th millennium Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century Decades: 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s 2050s - 2060s - 2070s 2080s 2090s Years: 2060 2061 2062 2063 2064 2065 2066 2067 2068 2069 The Decade as a Whole This decade is expected to be called... Atmospheric characteristics Surface pressure ≫100 MPa Hydrogen - H2 80% ±3. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2078 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... (Redirected from 2079) (20th century - 21st century - 22nd century - other centuries) Definition In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing, lasting from 2000-2099. ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... (Redirected from 2088) (20th century - 21st century - 22nd century - other centuries) Definition In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing, lasting from 2000-2099. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... (Redirected from 2094) (20th century - 21st century - 22nd century - other centuries) Definition In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing, lasting from 2000-2099. ...

Mutual planetary transits and occultations

In rare cases, one planet can transit in front of another. The next time this will happen (as seen from Earth) will be on November 22, 2065 at about 12:43 UTC, when Venus near superior conjunction (with an angular diameter of 10.6") will transit in front of Jupiter (with an angular diameter of 30.9"); however, this will take place only 8° west of the Sun, and will therefore not be visible to the unaided/unprotected eye. When the nearer object has a larger angular diameter than the farther object, thus covering it completely, the event is not a transit but an occultation. Before transiting Jupiter, Venus will occult Jupiter's moon Ganymede at around 11:24 UTC as seen from some southernmost parts of Earth. Parallax will cause actual observed times to vary by a few minutes, depending on the precise location of the observer. November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... (Redirected from 2065) Millennia: 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium - 4th millennium Centuries: 20th century - 21st century - 22nd century Decades: 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s 2050s - 2060s - 2070s 2080s 2090s Years: 2060 2061 2062 2063 2064 2065 2066 2067 2068 2069 The Decade as a Whole This decade is expected to be called... It has been suggested that leap second be merged into this article or section. ... Conjunction is a term used in positional astronomy and astrology. ... The angular diameter of an object as seen from a given position is the diameter measured as an angle. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... The angular diameter of an object as seen from a given position is the diameter measured as an angle. ... Moons of solar system scaled to Earths Moon A natural satellite is a moon (not capitalized), that is, any natural object that orbits a planet. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure trace Oxygen 100% Ganymede (gan-É™-meed, IPA: ; Greek Γανυμήδης) is Jupiters largest moon, and indeed the largest moon in the entire solar system; it is larger in diameter than Mercury but only about half its mass. ... Parallax (Greek: παραλλαγή (parallagé) = alteration) is the change of angular position of two stationary points relative to each other as seen by an observer, due to the motion of an observer. ...

There are only 18 mutual planetary transits and occultations as seen from Earth between 1700 and 2200. Note the long break of events between 1818 and 2065!

• 19 Sep 1702 - Jupiter occults Neptune
• 20 Jul 1705 - Mercury transits Jupiter
• 14 Jul 1708 - Mercury occults Uranus

A simulation of Venus transiting Jupiter, as it did on January 3, 1818.

• 04 Oct 1708 - Mercury transits Jupiter
• 28 May 1737 - Venus occults Mercury
• 29 Aug 1771 - Venus transits Saturn
• 21 Jul 1793 - Mercury occults Uranus
• 09 Dec 1808 - Mercury transits Saturn
• 03 Jan 1818 - Venus transits Jupiter
• 22 Nov 2065 - Venus transits Jupiter
• 15 Jul 2067 - Mercury occults Neptune
• 11 Aug 2079 - Mercury occults Mars
• 27 Oct 2088 - Mercury transits Jupiter
• 07 Apr 2094 - Mercury transits Jupiter
• 21 Aug 2104 - Venus occults Neptune
• 14 Sep 2123 - Venus transits Jupiter
• 29 Jul 2126 - Mercury occults Mars
• 03 Dec 2133 - Venus occults Mercury

The 1737 event was observed by John Bevis at Greenwich Observatory - it is the only detailed account of a mutual planetary occultation. A transit of Mars across Jupiter on 12 Sep 1170 was observed by the monk Gervase at Canterbury, and by Chinese astronomers. In addition, an occultation of Mars by Venus was observed by M. Möstlin at Heidelberg on October 3, 1590. Illustration created using Starry Night Pro software. ... Illustration created using Starry Night Pro software. ... (*min temperature refers to cloud tops only) Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 9. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... Events 12 February — The San Carlo, the oldest working opera house in Europe, is inaugurated. ... John Bevis (November 10, 1695 – November 6, 1771) was an English doctor and astronomer. ... Royal Observatory, Greenwich The original site of the Royal Greenwich Observatory (RGO), which was built as a workplace for the Astronomer Royal, was on a hill in Greenwich Park in Greenwich, London, overlooking the River Thames. ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... Events December 29: Assassination of Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury cathedral City of Dublin captured by the Normans Wang Anshi of Song China started to carried out reforms in three main structures, education, economy and political system. ... St Peters St, Canterbury, from the West Gate, 1993 Canterbury (Latin: Duroverum) is a cathedral city in the county of Kent in southeast England. ... Heidelberg is a scenic city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, halfway between Stuttgart and Frankfurt. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events March 14 - Battle of Ivry - Henry IV of France again defeats the forces of the Catholic League under the Duc de Mayenne. ...

See also

• Asteroid occultation
• Transit (also for occultations of planets by other planets)
• Transit of Mercury
• Transit of Venus
• Solar eclipse

An asteroid occultation occurs when an asteroid passes in front of a star (occults a star), temporarily blocking its light (as seen from Earth). ... Deimos transits the Sun, as seen by Mars Rover Opportunity on March 4, 2004 The word transit has two meanings in astronomy: A transit is the astronomical event that occurs when one celestial body appears to move across the face of another celestial body, as seen by an observer at... A transit of Mercury across the Sun takes place when the planet Mercury comes between the Sun and the Earth, and Mercury is seen as a small black dot moving across the face of the Sun. ... The 2004 transit of Venus A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and the Earth, obscuring a small portion of the Suns disc. ... Photo taken during the 1999 eclipse. ...

External links

• International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA)
• Occultations of Regulus by planets (in German)
• Occultations of stars by planets (in German)
• Occultations of planets by other planets
• Big Occulting Steerable Satellite

External references

• Meeus, Jean: Astronomical Tables of the Sun, Moon and Planets. Richmond, Virginia: Willmann-Bell, Inc., 1995, ISBN 0-943396-45-X.