Rare transit of Mercury will require safe sun-viewing equipment.
The last time it happened was November 2006, and it was cut short in Ohio by sunset.
The next time it will happen is November 2019. But after that, it won’t happen again until 2032.
Offering numerous ways to view it safely, Geauga Park District’s Observatory Park will be the place to see the rare mini-eclipse created when Mercury appears to cross the sun, called the Transit of Mercury, on Monday, May 9.
(If you also took in the Transit of Venus in 2012 and the solar eclipse in 2014, get ready for the hat trick: you’ll have seen all three objects that an Earthling can see crossing the sun!)
This process will take more than six hours, so folks are welcome to drop in for a view any time 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Also, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., those with limited mobility and their families may enjoy a ride around the Planetary Trail on our EZ Go Cart!
Transit events are fairly rare; only 14 occurred during the entire 20th century – compared to, say, 81 total lunar eclipses and 68 total solar eclipses during the same century.
Again, don’t try to look directly into the sun yourself this day. Not only could you damage your eyes, but Mercury will appear to be about 1/150th the size of the sun, so most humans will need some magnification in order to see it. However, if you have binoculars you can use them to project an image onto a piece of paper: www.instructables.com/id/Sun-Viewer-Observe-the-Sun-safely-with-binoculars.
Want to learn more about our solar system’s smallest planet? Astronomy Naturalist (Astro-Nat) Chris Mentrek hosts Meet Mercury programs on Fridays, May 13 and 27, from 7 to 8 p.m., followed by night sky viewing until 11 p.m. if weather permits. From ancient myths to the latest science from the Mercury Messenger space probe, you’ll learn lots about the “quicksilver planet.” Join us!
Geauga Park District is online at http://geaugaparkdistrict.org, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Image courtesy of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_in_fiction
