Kingdom to witness Mercury’s solar passage on Monday

AMMAN — On Monday, the Kingdom is expected to witness Mercury’s transit of the sun, a rare astronomical event that will not reoccur until 2032, Chief Islamic Justice Department astronomer Imad Mujahed said on Sunday. 

Mujahed said that Mercury will pass the eastern edge of the sun at 2:35pm local time, and will be at the centre of the sun at 4:36pm, 10 minutes before sunset, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

As the sun sets 10 minutes after the peak, visibility of Mercury’s passage will end in the Kingdom at sunset, making the total transit period in Jordan approximately two hours and four minutes, the astronomer noted.

Mujahed urged people to avoid viewing the transit process with the naked eye, as looking directly at the sun without protection has dangerous effects on the eyes.

He added that sunglasses are also not suitable for observing the phenomenon, and recommended using a telescope with a filter as a safe and effective way to watch the transit.

Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, will appear as a black dot crossing the sun, he added, pointing out that Mercury’s transit of the sun occurs 13 to 14 times each century. The most recent transit occurred in 2016 and the next is expected for 2032.

Venus, the second closest planet to the sun, also transits the sun, but its passage occurs rarely compared to Mercury’s, the astronomer said, noting that Venus’s most recent transit occurred in 2012, with the next transit predicted for 2117. 

The transits of Mercury and Venus are normal astronomical events and do not correlate with or cause any events on Earth such as volcanoes, floods or other catastrophes, he stressed.