Mercury (planet): Timeline

1737   May 28 — The planet Planet

The International Astronomical Union [i] , the official scientific [i] body for astronomical [i] nomenclature [i] ... 

 Venus passed in front of Mercury Mercury (planet)

Mercury is the nearest planet to the sun [i], orbiting at an average distance of about 58 million kilome ... 

. The event is witnessed during the evening hours by the amateur astronomer Astronomer

An astronomer or astrophysicist is a person whose area of interest is astronomy [i] or astrophysics [i] ... 

 John Bevis at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. As of 2005, it is still the only such planet/planet occultation that has been directly observed.

1808   At 20:34 UTC Mercury Mercury (planet)

Mercury is the nearest planet to the sun [i], orbiting at an average distance of about 58 million kilome ... 

 occults Saturn. There are no observation records.

1973   Mariner program Mariner program

The Mariner program was a series of unmanned interplanetary probes [i] designed t ... 

: NASA NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the United States Government [i], res ... 

 launches the Mariner 10 toward Mercury Mercury (planet)

Mercury is the nearest planet to the sun [i], orbiting at an average distance of about 58 million kilome ... 

 (on March 29, 1974 it becomes the first space probe Space probe

A space probe is an unmanned space mission [i] in which a spacecraft leaves Earth's orbit. ... 

 to reach that planet).

1974   ''Mariner 10'' approaches Mercury Mercury (planet)

Mercury is the nearest planet to the sun [i], orbiting at an average distance of about 58 million kilome ... 

.

2000   A rare conjunction occurs on the New Moon, including all seven of the traditional celestial bodies known from ancient times up until 1781 with the discovery of Uranus. The May 2000 conjunction consisted of: the Sun Sun

|+ The Sun   |+ |- ... 

 and Moon Moon

The Moon is Earth [i]'s only natural satellite [i]. ... 

, Mercury Mercury (planet)

Mercury is the nearest planet to the sun [i], orbiting at an average distance of about 58 million kilome ... 

, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.