File:Jupiter-io-transit_feb_10_2009.gif · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
astronomical transit
Sign in to saveAlso known as transit
phenomenon when a celestial body passes directly between a larger body and the observer
An astronomical transit occurs when a celestial body passes directly between a larger body and the observer, creating a distinctive alignment in the sky. Transits matter because they allow astronomers to study the properties of distant objects, such as detecting exoplanets around other stars or measuring the size and composition of celestial bodies.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
In the Vinony graph
Vinony's link graph records 1,952 inbound references to astronomical transit, and connects out to exoplanet, Cassini−Huygens and Kepler Space Telescope.
Vinony files it under Astrometry, Astronomical events and Astronomical transits.
Vinony links it to 53 Wikipedia language editions.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- astronomical phenomenon
- Subclass of
- syzygy
- Image
- PIA02879 - A New Year for Jupiter and Io.jpg
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- Astronomical transits
- topic's main category
- Category:Astronomical transits
- described by source
- Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~11 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Phobos transits the Sun, as viewed by the Perseverance rover on 2 April 2022
In astronomy, a transit (or astronomical transit) is the passage of a celestial body directly between a larger body and the observer. As viewed from a particular vantage point, the transiting body appears to move across the face of the larger body, covering a small portion of it.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “astronomical transit” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.