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  1. Home
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  3. Science & Astronomy

The Mercury Transit of 2019 in Photos! The Best Views Until 2032

By Tariq Malik
last updated 11 November 2019

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(Image credit: NASA/SDO/HMI/AIA)

On Nov. 11, 2019, the planet Mercury crossed the face of the sun in a rare Mercury transit. See amazing photos of the transit, the last until 2032, from NASA and around the world!

Watch it LIVE here!

This image, from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, shows Mercury as a small black dot as it approaches the left edge (or limb) of the sun to begin the transit. 

  • Mercury Transit 2019: Where and How to See It on Nov. 11 (opens in new tab)
  • Video: The Mercury Transit of 2019 Explained (opens in new tab)
  • How to Watch the Mercury Transit Live Online (opens in new tab)
  • Find a Mercury Transit 2019 Viewing Event Near You! (opens in new tab)
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Page 1 of 15
(Image credit: NASA/SDO/HMI/AIA)

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument on board NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite captured this image near the beginning of the transit.

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Page 2 of 15
(Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA photographer Bill Ingalls captured this stunning shot of the Mercury transit on Nov. 11, 2019, from Washington, D.C.

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Page 3 of 15
(Image credit: NASA/SDO/HMI/AIA)

Instruments onboard NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory study the sun in a range of different wavelengths to learn more about the star. This image of the transit of Mercury was captured by the satellite's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument.

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Page 4 of 15
(Image credit: NASA/SDO/HMI/AIA)

Another view from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows Mercury approaching the sun's disk on Nov. 11, 2019.

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Page 5 of 15
(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Here's a look at the timeline for the Nov. 11, 2019 transit of Mercury. The event began at 7:35 a.m. EDT (1235 GMT) and lasted 5.5 hours. 

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Page 6 of 15
Mercury transits the sun, as seen behind the Washington Monument, on Nov. 11, 2019.
(Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

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Page 7 of 15
(Image credit: Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP/Getty)

The Mercury transit of Nov. 11, 2019, as seen from Kuwait's capital, Kuwaiti City.

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Page 8 of 15
(Image credit: Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency/Getty)

A photo taken from Turkey's Van province  shows the transit of Mercury on Nov. 11, 2019.

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Page 9 of 15
(Image credit: Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty)

A view of the Mercury transit as seen from Hede-Bazouges in western France.

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Page 10 of 15
(Image credit: Petar Petrov/Impact Press Group/NurPhoto/Getty)

The Nov. 11, 2019, transit of Mercury as seen from the Black Sea town of Varna near the Bulgarian capital.

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Page 11 of 15
(Image credit: s against the Sun's surface.The transit started at 7:35 AM for about five and a half hours. Credit: Petar Petrov/Impact Press Group/NurPhoto/Getty)

The Nov. 11, 2019, transit of Mercury as seen from the Black Sea town of Varna near the Bulgarian capital.

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Page 12 of 15
(Image credit: Future Plc/All About Space Magazine)

Mercury transits are rare celestial events. Here's a look at how they happen and why from Space.com's sister publication All About Space magazine.

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Page 13 of 15
(Image credit: Fred Espenak/eclipsewise.com)

NASA's eclipse guru Fred Espenak created this transit visibility map for the 2019 Mercury transit. The phases of visibility are clearly labeled. 

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Page 14 of 15
(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

This NASA chart shows the wide visibility range for the 2019 Mercury Transit. For most of North America, the entire event was visible, weather permitting.

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Page 15 of 15
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Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
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Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award (opens in new tab) for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast (opens in new tab) with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network (opens in new tab). To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik (opens in new tab).

1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • spar
    Admin said:
    On Nov. 11, 2019, the planet Mercury crossed the face of the sun in a rare Mercury transit. See amazing photos of the transit, the last until 2032, from NASA and around the world!

    The Mercury Transit of 2019 in Photos! The First Amazing Views : Read more
    may I add my own image of the event?
    Reply
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