Spotting Planet Mercury
Esher Sixth Form College’s Physics department made the most of a rare opportunity to track Planet Mercury as it passes across the face of the Sun.
The event which can only take place when the Earth, Mercury and the Sun are exactly in line, took place on Monday 11 November, and was captured by two of the College’s specialist telescopes.
Head of Physics, Jonathan Poole, and Minna Sula set up the equipment so students could enjoy the experience during their lunch break. There are 14 transits in this century, the last before this was in 2016, but the next event will not occur until 2032.
Esher Sixth Form College has its own observatory, which is a popular resource for students to star gaze and explore space through its Astronomy Club.
