Schools
Catch A Glimpse Of Mercury's Solar Transit At Barnstable High
See Mercury's orbit cross paths with the sun, the only time the planet can be seen during the day.
BARNSTABLE, MA — Barnstable High School will give residents a chance to fire up the telescopes and see Mercury in a way people won't be able to again for another 23 years. On Nov. 11, the smallest planet's orbit will cross paths with the sun and is the only time Mercury can be seen during the day.
Anyone that wants to safely see this solar event can make their way to Cobb Astro Park at Barnstable High School. The school will provide solar telescopes, binoculars, sun spotters and solar shades to anyone that wants to see Mercury transiting the sun.
The event is free and is visible for 5 hours and 28 minutes, so come when it's most convenient for you. The school asks that anyone attending come in through the Knight Auditorium and take the first left at the 1700 hallway. Mercury's path goes as followed:
Find out what's happening in Barnstable-Hyannisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- 7:36 a.m. - Mercury will start to move in front of the sun
- 10:20 a.m. - Mercury will have moved to the middle of the sun's disk
- 1:04 p.m. - Mercury will move off the sun's disk until it returns in 2032
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