Several RASC Centres are providing opportunities for the public to observe the rare transit of Mercury on Monday May 9, 2016.

Mercury will take over seven hours to move across the face of the Sun. The planet will appear as a small black dot silhouetted on the Sun''s face. 

 

Transit of Mercury – Monday May 9, 2016

Planned Public Observing Sites

Edmonton Centre

The RASC will have safely filtered telescopes set up at the RASC Observatory at TELUS World of Science – Edmonton. Telescope will be set up around the observatory depending on sight lines until the Sun comes into view as seen from the telescopes inside the Observatory. Then the Observatory telescopes will be aimed at the Sun. To confirm that the observatory is open, call 780-452-9100 ext 2249. The RASC Observatory at TELUS World of Science is open to everyone, free of charge.

The RASC will also be setting up safely filtered telescopes at Churchill Square, from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Look for astronomers with telescopes in the square.

Toronto Centre

https://rascto.ca/content/transit-mercuryhttps://rascto.ca/content/tom2016caohttps://rascto.ca/content/transit-mercury-ddo
Toronto Centre: DDO, CAO, OSC

York University

Also, York U is running an event.

https://rascto.ca/content/york-university-mercury-transit

Ottawa Centre

The Minister of Science has invited the Ottawa Centre to conduct a star party on Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the grounds of Parliament Hill in front of the Peace Tower. To date 26 solar telescopes are ready to go. This should be a fantastic event.

London Centre

Visit the Cronyn Observatory on the campus of Western University from 07;00 to 14:00 for views of the transit through filtered telescopes, an H-alpha telescope, streaming live feed, projection and other safe techniques. Click here for more info. There will also be telescopes set up in front of Chapters North in the Masonville shopping district.

Niagara Centre

The Niagara Centre will be at Firemen's Park in Niagara Falls, from 7 am -

2:30 p.m.

Sunshine Coast Centre

At 5:30 AM, on Monday, 9 May 2016, at the SCC Observatory at the Sechelt Airport, we will be open to view the solar transit of the planet Mercury. The planet Mercury passes between the face of the Sun and Earth only 14 times per century, and this is one of those events. When the Sun rises at 5:30 AM on Monday, 9 May, the transit will already be in progress (having started about 4:12 AM). The transit will end at 11:42 AM. We’ll have the SCC Observatory open for public viewing that morning (weather permitting) with our solar scopes for safe viewing.

New Brunswick Centre

New Brunswick transit plans are 08:00 - 16:00 at:
Brookside Mall, Fredericton
Hanwell Community Church
Irving Nature Park, Saint John
Oromocto (at a supermarket to be named later)
 

Vancouver Centre

RASC will be at Granville Square, 200 Granville St. 8:30 am to 11:30 am, weather permitting. 
 

Prince George Centre

9am till noon at the Pine Centre Mall liquor store parking lot.

Belleville Centre

The centre had planned on putting on a viewing session at the Quinte Mall (Bell Blvd), but the mall doesn't permit outdoor displays.

Tentative plans call for a few of us to set up on the grass strip between their parking lot and the road.

Hamilton Centre

RASC Hamilton is doing a Youth oriented event: 10 AM – 2:30 PM

Canadian Martyrs’ Elementary School

3201 Lansdown Drive

Burlington, Ontario, L7M 1K1

Mississauga Centre

Telescopes will be set up at the Riverwood Conservancy 9:00 am until 2:00 pm

The Riverwood Conservancy300 Riverwood Park Lane Mississauga

http://earthshineastronomy.ca/events/2016/5/9/observe-the-transit-of-mercury-at-the-riverwood-conservancy

St John’s Centre

St. John's Centre will be hosting a public observing session for the duration of the Transit (weather permitting) at the Johnson Geo Centre on Signal Hill in St. John's. The Geo Centre will also be providing live video feed and other indoor activities throughout the day.