Mercury will transit the Sun for the first time since 2006 onMonday, May 9, 2016. Transits of the planets are relatively rare and only those of Mercury and Venus are viewable from Earth. In fact, there are usually only about 13 transits of Mercury each century. The next Mercury transit will not occur until November 11, 2019.
The Mercury transit is not visible to the naked eye. The Amateur Astronomers Group will have an assortment of white-light and hydrogen-alpha solar telescopes set up on the patio of the museum. They will offer free public viewing beginning at 8:00 am until the transit ends at approximately 12:40 pm. All local astronomers are invited to join the group as they present this to the public. For more information about the Mercury transit, visit http://eclipsewise.com/oh/tm2016.html.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589 or visit the website atwww.nmspacemuseum.org. Like us at: www.facebook.com/NMSpaceMuseum