: Mercury’s transit of the Sun was eagerly anticipated but cloudy weather left sky gazers disappointed. However, a persistent few managed to join the rest of the world to get a glimpse of the celestial event when clouds parted for a brief two minutes before sunset in Hyderabad.
Next only in 2032
The transit is not a common occurrence, given that the last one happened in 2006 and the next that India can see is likely in 2032. Only about 55 such events have occurred in the last 400 years, said a press release from Birla Science Centre. Understandably, amateur astronomers and hobbyists eagerly waited with their filter-covered telescopes and cameras to see the transit only to be disappointed by the overcast sky.
“Until 4 p.m. the sky was clear and we looked forward to the transit. The cloud formation was sudden though we anticipated about a week ago that clouds could intervene with the sighting,” said administrative staff at the Birla Science Centre which organised a viewing event that failed to attract crowd. Anticipating bad weather, the centre also arranged a live streaming of the transit as was seen from Europe, which proved some consolation to enthusiasts. “We did not know about the transit but were excited when we were told about it after our planetarium show ended. Scientists informed us of two telescopes that were arranged. We were really looking forward to use the instrument to see a celestial event unfold,” said Nitin Adhikari, who waited at the centre until the skies cleared.
When it did clear, the sun shone briefly for a few minutes that gave the window of opportunity to see the event. Mercury, a tiny speck on the glowing Sun, could be seen streaking across, much to the glee of those who waited at the centre for more than 30 minutes to catch a glimpse of the occurrence. However, those who sought to see the transit from other parts of the State, were not that lucky.
“A viewing event was arranged for nearly 500 students in Sangareddy with support from Medak district administration. But the sky turned cloudy suddenly and we could not see the event, even for a brief while,” said N. Raghunandan Kumar of the not-for-profit Planetary Society of India.
