The little black spot observed moving across the Sun’s disk on 9 May 2016 was the passage of the planet Mercury. The “Transit of Mercury” took place between 1112 and 1842 GMT.
While cloud obscured some observers’ view (including this writer’s), others were luckier and were able to observe the spectacle safely through filtered telescopes or projected viewing.
The 21st Century is due to see 14 such passes of Mercury across the Sun and this transit was number three. The next to occur is in 2019.
The little black spot observed moving across the Sun’s disk on 9 May 2016 was the passage of the planet Mercury. The “Transit of Mercury” took place between 1112 and 1842 GMT.
