On this page you’ll find images I took of the Mercury transit that occurred on May 9, 2016. Most of these images were from just before maximum transit (9:58 a.m. CDT) until 3rd and 4th contact, or egress. I was clouded out for the first half of the event. My usual setup was employed, a Meade 90mm (3.5″) ETX Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope with a Nikon D60 digital camera working at prime focus and a solar filter.

Prior to this transit Mercury previously crossed the face of the Sun a few months shy of 10 years ago on November 8, 2006. You can see images I took of the 2006 transit here.

The next Mercury transit happened on Nov. 11, 2019 but unfortunately I was not able to view or shoot that transit due to weather.  We were completely clouded out here in the north central Texas area. The next two Mercury transits happen on Nov. 13, 2032 and Nov. 7, 2039 but these will not provide an opportunity for viewers in the U.S.  If you live in the U.S., and don’t want to travel, the next time you’ll be able to view a Mercury transit will occur on Nov. 7, 2049. Ouch! I’ve marked my calendar. :)

Click on any image to be taken to the gallery for a better view.

Detailed information regarding this transit can be found on the EclipseWise web site.