Video: IRIS releases new imagery of Mercury transit
Thursday, May 19, 2016 - 06:51
in Astronomy & Space
On May 9, 2016, a NASA solar telescope called the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS, observed Mercury crossing in front of the sun—an astronomical phenomenon known as a Mercury transit. During the transit, IRIS focused on Mercury in order to help calibrate its telescope. By observing the planet—a region that ideally should appear completely dark—the team could determine just how the optics focus incoming light. IRIS can then be recalibrated to accommodate any changes that may have happened during launch into space.