Posted on

Transit of Mercury: Pawtuxet Village Passers-By Glimpse Celestial Event

[CREDIT: Mary Carlos] Jason Major, right, glances up at a brief cloud cover to gauge when another view of the Transit of Mercury will be available in Pawtuxet Village Nov. 11, 2019.

[CREDIT: Mary Carlos] Jason Major, right, glances up at a brief cloud cover to gauge when another view of the Transit of Mercury will be available in Pawtuxet Village Nov. 11, 2019.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos] Jason Major, right, glances up at a brief cloud cover to gauge when another view of the Transit of Mercury will be available in Pawtuxet Village Nov. 11, 2019.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos] Jason Major shows damage done to his lens by unfiltered sunlight through his telescope in Pawtuxet Village Nov. 11, 2019.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos] Jason Major shows damage done to his lens by unfiltered sunlight through his telescope in Pawtuxet Village Nov. 11, 2019.
PAWTUXET VILLAGE — Astronomers of all stripes had their telescopes pointed at the Sun Monday for a view of the Transit of Mercury, an event people won’t witness again until 2049, and Astronomy enthusiast Jason Major, on the Pawtuxet River Bridge with his telescope, made sure passers-by got a look.

Major set up his telescope on the Pawtuxet River bridge early Monday with a small chalkboard sign advertising the safe peek at the Sun as Mercury,  the planet closest to the Sun, passed across our view of the star over the course of about five hours.

Looking directly at the sun with the naked eye can damage your vision under normal conditions, Major explained. With optical aids such as telescopes, the the risks include permanent damage to your vision and the likely loss of whichever eye you’re using. That’s why he he had a filter on his telescop to provide a safe view for himself and people stopping to have a look through his telescope, Major said.

An accident earlier in the day illustrated the danger of unfiltered, magnified views of the Sun. Major said he briefly took the filter off his telescope to use it on his camera, and forgot to move his telescope away from the Sun for a few moments. The direct, magnified light burned a spot into the viewing lens he had on the telescope.

Major produced the lens, showing a blackened, melted section.

[CREDIT: Mary Carlos] From left, Toby and Michala Jorrin, with their daughter and dog, stopped to chat with Jason Major on the Pawtuxet River Bridge during the Transit of Mercury Nov. 11, 2019.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos]
From left, Toby and Michala Jorrin, with their daughter and dog, stopped to chat with Jason Major on the Pawtuxet River Bridge during the Transit of Mercury Nov. 11, 2019. Behind them are Teresa Mero and Tracy Valenti.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos] Passers by got a look at Mercury crossing the Sun with Jason Major on the Pawtuxet River Bridge during the Transit of Mercury Nov. 11, 2019.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos]
Passers by got a look at Mercury crossing the Sun with Jason Major on the Pawtuxet River Bridge during the Transit of Mercury Nov. 11, 2019.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos] People got a look through a telescope with Jason Major on the Pawtuxet River Bridge during the Transit of Mercury Nov. 11, 2019. In this photo, the telescope has been zoomed out to catch a wide view of clouds crossing the the view.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos]
People got a look through a telescope with Jason Major on the Pawtuxet River Bridge during the Transit of Mercury Nov. 11, 2019. In this photo, the telescope has been zoomed out to catch a wide view of clouds crossing the the view.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos] People got a look through a telescope with Jason Major on the Pawtuxet River Bridge during the Transit of Mercury Nov. 11, 2019. In this photo illustration of an image taken through the telescope, Mercury is a small dot nearing the end of its travel across the view of the Sun.
[CREDIT: Mary Carlos]
People got a look through a telescope with Jason Major on the Pawtuxet River Bridge during the Transit of Mercury Nov. 11, 2019. In this photo illustration of an image taken through the telescope, Mercury is a small dot nearing the end of its travel across the view of the Sun.
 
Rob Borkowski
Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

This is a test