eclipse2017.nasa.gov
The Sun, Transits and Eclipses
The eight sets of problems in this section of the Year of the Solar System guide help students understand the difference between transits, eclipses and occultations. Students use mathematical concepts such as scale drawings, tangents, proportions, geometry, fractions and modeling to understand these terms in space science.
Transits and Occultations
Science; Transits and Occultations; Transits and Occultations. Eclipses are a special kind of transit, which is when one astronomical body passes in front of another. Transits were used to calculate the Astronomical Unit, or AU, which is the mean distance between the earth and the sun. Jeremiah Horrocks is the first person we know to estimate ...