Monday 9 May 2016 12 noon – 3pm
Mercury in Transit
A dozen times each century the planet Mercury passes between the Earth and the Sun. Celebrate this astronomical rarity by joining the Museum of the History of Science and Hanwell Community Observatory for a special event in the University Parks, Oxford as we watch Mercury appear as a tiny dot on the surface of the Sun!
As Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system its transit cannot be seen with the naked eye, and so experts from the Observatory will be providing specially adapted telescopes for us to use. This includes projection telescopes, which will project an image of the Sun and Mercury onto a board on the ground. There will also be a selection of telescopes with professional filters, allowing us to look through the telescopes at the Sun. It important to stress that the Sun is a dangerous object to observe, and viewing it without specialised equipment can cause permanent damage or blindness.
This event will take place on the public play area by Keble Gate, University Parks, Parks Road, Oxford.
Drop-in. Suitable for all the family.