Transit of mercury over the solar disc visible in Kolkata

The transit began at 4.41 p.m.

There was a possibility of overcast sky due to nor’-wester and so scientists like  Sanjib Sen, Director, Positional Astronomy Centre (PAC), Kolkata was anxious whether this rare event would be at all visible from the city.

"However, the solar disc was visible in spite of partial clouds and so the enthusiasts all over the city could visualise the rare solar event which is taking place after ten long years as the last transit of mercury took place in June, 2006," read a government statement.

The Birla Industrial & Technological Museum (BITM) has arranged for viewing of mercury’s transit which lasted from 4.41 p.m. to 6.07 p.m., the sunset time in West Bengal.

The Positional Astronomy Centre also arranged for public viewing of the transit of mercury from their office at Sec V in Salt Lake.

Sen said, "The size of mercury being very small in comparison to the sun, it appeared just like a dot on the solar disc."

Referring to the transit of Venus that took place on June 6, 2012, he said, the angular diameter of Venus is 6 times that of Mercury and so, the observers had a much better view of that astronomical event.

However, many school-children had gathered at places like BITM and PAC to witness the rare astronomical event which will again be visible from India in 2032.