What would a transit or eclipse look like from Mars?

[llivinglarge]

We are always talking about Mercurian and Venusian transits. <br /><br />Provided we had the proper observation equipment... What a lunar or solar eclipse on Mars look like? What would a Terran transit look like from Mars?

 

[llivinglarge]

What about a Terran transit?

 

[Leovinus]

Don't view this with your naked eyes. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[llivinglarge]

Ummm, I just realized... That picture cannot be accurate. Surface view or space view... The sun does not look that big from Mars.

 

[Leovinus]

Depends on the magnification of the picture, doesn't it? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[thalion]

It's nifty that you ask. <br /><br />The following information is from Eli Maor's excellent <i>June 8, 2004: Venus in Transit</i>, App. 3, Table 4, p. 174.<br /><br />Transits of Earth from Mars:<br /><br />1516 Oct 27* (Julian Calendar)<br />1595 Nov 10<br />1621 May 5<br />1700 May 8<br />1800 Nov 9<br />1879 Nov 12<br />1905 May 8<br />1984 May 11 (inspired Arthur C. Clarke's "Transit of Earth" (short story))<br />2084 Nov 10<br />2163 Nov 16<br />2189 May 10<br />2268 May 13<br />2368 Nov 13<br />2394 May 10<br /><br />From Table 5, p. 175.<br /><br />Mean diameter of Earth during transit: 33 arcseconds<br />Maximum duration of transit: 9.5 hours<br />

 

[llivinglarge]

So what??? We do we call and Annular Eclipse an eclipse? It doesn't cover the entire solar disk.

 

[nexium]

As you can see on the excellent image supplied by eburacum, the Earth and Luna look much like a Venus and Mercury simultaneous transit as viewed from Earth. In both situations the spacing on the sun's disk varies with the position on the orbit. In extremely rare lineups the two dots could be touching. <br /> I agree, the moons of Mars can produce only an annular eclipse of the sun, which would usually be called a transit as it would always be very annular unless viewed from high orbit around Mars. Neil