The public is invited to safely view the Transit of Mercury. The event will take place from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Monday, May 9 on the South Lawn of the Missouri State Capitol.
An uncommon celestial event, the Transit of Mercury is a sort of micro-eclipse in which the planet mercury passes directly between the earth and the sun. Due to differences in size, Mercury will appear as a small round dot crossing the sun.
Special glasses, filters or cameras will be needed to view the transit safely. The transit begins near sunrise and will conclude before 1:45 p.m. Visitors are welcome to stop by any time during the event.
The Missouri State Museum, which is part of the Missouri state park system, is located on the first floor of the Missouri State Capitol. For more information about the event, call the museum at 573-751-2854. Missouri State Parks is supported by the one-tenth of one-percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax, which accounts for approximately 75 percent of the budget to repair, improve and maintain state parks and historic sites. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit http://mostateparks.com.