What is the duration of a transit?

The Duration of a Planetary Transit: More Than Just a Fleeting Shadow

When a planet passes in front of its star, as seen from Earth, it creates a mini-eclipse known as a transit. This astronomical event offers valuable insights into the planet’s size, orbit, and even atmospheric composition. But understanding the duration of a transit requires a closer look at its different phases. It’s not simply a matter of how long a dark spot crosses a bright disk; the process is more nuanced than that.

A transit unfolds in a sequence of distinct stages. The beginning is marked by first contact, the moment the planet’s limb just touches the edge of the star’s disk. This initiates the ingress phase, where the planet appears to slowly move across the face of the star. The transit doesn’t reach its full effect immediately.

As the planet continues its trajectory, it eventually becomes fully superimposed on the star. This marks second contact and the beginning of the full transit phase. During this time, the observed starlight dims noticeably, the extent of which depends on the relative sizes of the star and the transiting planet. This period of full overlap is crucial for scientific measurements and is often referred to as the full transit duration.

The end of the full transit is signaled by third contact, where the planet’s leading edge begins to leave the star’s disk. This starts the egress phase, mirroring the ingress but in reverse. Finally, fourth contact occurs when the planet’s trailing limb completely detaches from the star, signifying the end of the transit.

The entire process, from first contact to fourth contact, represents the total transit duration. This differs from the full transit duration, which only encompasses the time between second and third contact. Understanding this distinction is critical for accurately interpreting transit data. While the total duration tells us about the planet’s overall path across the star, the full transit duration provides specific information about the planet’s size relative to its star.

Therefore, when discussing transit duration, it’s important to specify whether we’re referring to the total duration, encompassing the entire event, or the full transit duration, representing the period of complete overlap. This precision allows for a more detailed and accurate understanding of these fascinating celestial events.