Transit of Mercury (2032)
On 13 November 2032 Mercury crosses the face of the Sun as a small black dot for about 4 hours 26 minutes, the first such transit since 2019. The whole transit, from 06:41 to 11:07 UTC, can be seen from Africa, western Asia and much of Europe.
📍 Visible from where you are right now — computed in your browser
Available views: Orbit ✓ · Sky — (not visible in the sky)
The story
On 13 November 2032 Mercury will pass directly between Earth and the Sun. Seen from Earth, a small round black dot will slowly cross the bright disc of the Sun. This is called a transit of Mercury. It is the first since 11 November 2019, thirteen years earlier, and it lasts about 4 hours 26 minutes from start to finish.
The transit begins at 06:41 UTC and ends at 11:07 UTC. Across Africa, western Asia and much of Europe, where the Sun is up during those hours, the whole event can be seen. In East Asia and Australia the Sun sets before the transit ends, so the end is missed there. In North America the transit is over before sunrise, while much of South America sees only the closing part after sunrise.
Mercury looks tiny next to the Sun. Its width is only about one two-hundredth of the Sun's, so the dot cannot be seen by simply looking through eclipse glasses. You need a telescope fitted with a certified solar filter over the front, or a telescope that projects the Sun's image onto a sheet of white card. Looking at the Sun through a telescope or binoculars without a proper filter can badly damage your eyes.
Transits of Mercury happen 13 or 14 times a century, and only in May or November. Mercury's orbit is slightly tilted compared with Earth's, so Mercury can line up exactly in front of the Sun only when Earth passes the points where the two orbits cross. Earth reaches those points in May and November. The next transit will be on 7 November 2039.
Viewing guide — where, when, how
In NowSky's orbit view, move the time to 13 November 2032, follow Earth and set the view to keep the Sun in sight, and you will see Mercury sitting exactly between Earth and the Sun. Slow the replay down to see how a transit lasting more than four hours unfolds along the orbits. You can also see Mercury, moving much faster around the Sun, overtaking Earth on the inside.
In the sky view, move to the same date and Mercury is drawn on top of the Sun's disc. With a location in East Asia or Australia, the transit starts in the afternoon, at 06:41 UTC, and the view ends as the Sun sets; switch to a city in Africa or western Asia to see the whole event. The previous transit in 2019 and the next one in 2039 can be replayed the same way, so their paths across the Sun can be compared.
See this for yourself — replay the moment in the orbit view
Why this eclipse is special
Transits of Mercury have long been a proving ground for astronomical measurement. Johannes Kepler calculated in advance that Mercury would cross the Sun in 1631, and on 7 November 1631 the French astronomer Pierre Gassendi became the first to observe one. The correct prediction was strong support for Kepler's idea that planets travel on elliptical orbits.
Later astronomers timed the start and end of transits very precisely to work out Mercury's orbit more accurately. In doing so they found that the direction of Mercury's orbit slowly turns a little more than Newton's theory could explain. That puzzle was solved in the twentieth century by Einstein's general theory of relativity.
Today a transit of Mercury also connects to the search for planets around other stars, called exoplanets. When a planet passes in front of its star, the starlight dims very slightly. Space telescopes such as Kepler and TESS measured such dips to find thousands of exoplanets. A transit of Mercury lets us see the same principle with our own eyes inside our solar system.
Background and earlier eclipses
The two previous transits, on 9 May 2016 and 11 November 2019, both took place between about 11:00 and 19:00 UTC, so they were seen in full from South America and eastern North America (and, in 2016, from western Europe), and in part from most of Europe, Africa and western North America, but not from Australia or eastern Asia, where it was night. The transit of 7 November 2039 is calculated to run from 07:17 to 10:15 UTC.
Venus can also cross the Sun, but after 2012 there will be no transit of Venus until December 2117. For decades to come, then, Mercury is the only planet we can watch crossing the Sun from Earth. The remaining transits of Mercury this century include those of 7 November 2039, 7 May 2049 and 9 November 2052.
When watching a transit of Mercury, take care not to confuse it with a sunspot. Mercury's dot is about the size of a small spot, but it has a sharp edge, is completely black and moves noticeably within a few minutes. When Mercury touches the edge of the Sun, the dot can also seem to stretch like a drop of water. This black drop effect makes it hard to time the moment of contact exactly.
FAQ
Where can it be seen?
The whole transit, from 06:41 to 11:07 UTC, can be seen from Africa, western Asia and much of Europe, where the Sun is up throughout. In East Asia and Australia the Sun sets partway through, so only the opening part can be seen, low in the west. In most of the Americas it is over before sunrise.
Can I see it with eclipse glasses?
No. Mercury is only about one two-hundredth of the Sun's width, so it needs magnification. Use a telescope with a certified solar filter over the front, or project the Sun's image onto white card.
How long does it last?
About 4 hours 26 minutes from start to finish. That length comes from the path Mercury takes, slightly away from the centre of the Sun's disc.
When is the next transit of Mercury?
On 7 November 2039. Transits of Mercury happen only in May and November, about 13 or 14 times a century.
Related
- Transit of Venus — last this century
- BepiColombo launch — to Mercury
- Total lunar eclipse (2032)
- Mercury — object index
- The Sun — object index
Times and figures are approximate — verify with official sources when planning travel. Simulation uses J2000 mean elements.