It’s going to be an event-filled week for sky-watchers!
As another meteor shower peaks and astronomers gear up for a rare planetary transit, it’s time to unplug for a while and start lookin’ up! Read on to find out how to make the most of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, and the 2016 transit of Mercury.
You want the most exciting news first, right? Well, on the morning of Monday, May 9, observers across the world will be able to watch as the planet Mercury passes between Earth and the Sun. Viewers looking through a powerful telescope, equipped with a sun filter, will be able to see Mercury cross the sun’s disk, like a tiny peppercorn silhouetted against the sun’s bright surface.
CAUTION: Note that any telescope will have to be equipped with a sun filter in order for you view it safely. Please, please DO NOT look at the sun without that filter!!!! It’s just common sense. If you don’t have the required equipment, I understand the campus observatory at the University of Saskatchewan will be open to the public on the morning of May 9th –from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm.
Transits of Mercury are relatively rare events. In all, there will be only 14 Mercury transits in the 21st century. The last one was in 2006. And if you miss the one on May 9th, you won’t be able to see another until 2019. Are you feeling excited yet?!
Whether you’re able to watch the Mercury transit or not, you might want to keep an eye out for the Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower. It’ll be peaking on the mornings of May 5th and 6th. With the new moon on May 6, the outlook for a decent show is looking hopeful. At best, the Eta Aquarids usually produce from 20-40 meteors per hour. Here in Saskatchewan, you might only be able to catch 10 per hour.
However, to maximize your opportunity, the best time to watch will be in the early hours of the morning, before dawn’s light. The meteors will be flying all over the sky, but if you trace their paths backwards, you’ll notice that they all seem to be radiating from a point in the southeast. More specifically, they’ll be radiating from the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius. Hence the shower’s name, Eta Aquarid.
