Physics Department to Host Observation of Transit of Mercury Monday, May 9

Photo courtesy of NASA

The physics department at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania invites the public to observe a celestial event known as the Transit of Mercury on Monday, May 9, 2016 between 12 noon and 2:30 p.m.

A transit can be considered a “mini-eclipse,” where the planet Mercury passes directly between the sun and earth. The tiny silhouette of Mercury takes several hours to cross the sun’s disk, and can only be observed with a telescope with a safe solar filter, such as the solar telescope at ESU.

“The Mercury Transit is extremely rare, occurring only 13 times each century,” said David Buckley, Ph.D., professor of physics. “It’s exciting to be able to share such a unique event with our community.”

According to NASA, the Transit of Mercury was a valuable tool for astronomers in past centuries, allowing them to estimate the planet’s size and distance between the earth and the sun. The last Mercury transit was in 2006, and the next one after Monday, May 9, will be in 2019.

The solar telescope will be set up at the entrance of the Hoeffner Science & Technology Center on Normal Street for free public observation, weather permitting.

For more information about this free public event, please contact Dr. Buckley at 570-422-3320.

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