Day-Of-Update: Unfortunately, as we hit 7:30 a.m., it’s looking like the forecasts have been spot-on, and snow is flying with, essentially, 100% cloud cover. Accordingly, we won’t be setting up for constant viewing. However, we’ll be watching out our office windows, and if there’s a break in the clouds, we’ll do our best to take advantage.
Between about 7:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (local time) on Monday, November 11th, Mercury will pass directly between Earth and our sun; this is known as a transit, and with proper viewing techniques, one can observe Mercury as it traverses the disc of our sun. The image at left is an annotated version of a Wikipedia photo from the 2016 transit. The next Transit of Mercury will not take place until 2032!
Note that the angular size of Mercury is only about 0.5% that of our Sun, as viewed from Earth, so both magnification and solar filtration are needed for safe and satisfying viewing. Please don’t try looking directly at the sun — especially if using a magnifying device!
The Department of Physics & Astronomy will provide several telescopes, equipped with proper solar filters, between Northside Hall and the Student Activities Center starting at about 8:00 a.m. Student and faculty volunteers will be on site to provide viewing assistance.
For more information about this particular transit, take a look at Bruce McClure’s post on EarthSci.com.
This will be a public event, and all are welcome to join us!
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