Passage van Mercurius voor de zon, 1799 1799

This 1799 illustration by Lambertus Nieuwenhuis depicts the transit of Mercury across the sun, a rare astronomical event. The artwork includes multiple diagrams and maps, all meticulously drawn in black and white ink. The main diagram displays a circle with a series of lines representing the path of Mercury across the sun. Two additional globes represent the Earth and a map of the world, highlighting the areas where the event was visible. This detailed illustration demonstrates the early scientific interest in celestial events and the precision with which astronomers recorded their observations.