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Sky & Telescope
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Contacts:
Alan MacRobert, Senior Editor
617-864-7360 x151, macrobert{at}SkyandTelescope.com

Roger W. Sinnott, Senior Editor
617-864-7360 x146, rsinnott{at}SkyandTelescope.com

April 29, 2003

May Brings an Astronomical Bonanza

Keep your eyes on the heavens throughout this coming month. 
Astronomically speaking, May is bustin' out all over! Those in the
know -- and in the right place at the right time -- will be treated
to a lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse, the passage of the planet
Mercury in front of the Sun, and the nationwide celebration of
Astronomy Day. 

Transit of Mercury

The excitement begins on Wednesday, May 7th, when the Sun, the
innermost planet Mercury, and the Earth will form a straight line in
space. For five hours Mercury will crawl across the solar disk,
appearing as a slowly moving black dot. Skywatchers throughout most
of Europe, Africa, and Asia can see the entire event unfold. Those
living in Japan, Alaska, parts of Australia, and the northeastern
parts of North and South America will see part of the transit after
sunrise or before sunset. 

This is the first of 14 transits of Mercury to take place in the 21st 
century, and the first since November 1999. Mercury's next transit 
across the solar disk favors observers in Pacific Rim countries and
will take place in 2006 on November 8th.

To watch the transit you must observe the Sun, which is very
dangerous unless proper precautions are taken. Never look directly at
the Sun, with or without optical aid, unless you have a safe solar
filter and understand its instructions for use. Tips for observing
the transit safely -- either indirectly by projection or directly
through properly filtered optics -- appear below. We also provide
tables listing the times to watch from various cities worldwide
http://SkyandTelescope.com/aboutsky/pressreleases/article_942_3.asp
If your city isn't listed, use the times given for the location
nearest you.

Astronomy Day 2003

Saturday, May 10th, is Astronomy Day. This annual event, now
celebrating its 30th anniversary, began as a high-profile way of
drawing public attention to the science and the hobby through
exhibits and activities at urban centers. It has since mushroomed in
size and scope. Hundreds of astronomy clubs, observatories, museums,
colleges, and planetariums worldwide now host family-oriented
Astronomy Day events and festivities to show how enjoyable and
exciting astronomy can be. For more information, see our online
article "Astronomy Day: Bringing Astronomy to the People",

http://SkyandTelescope.com/resources/calendar/article_472_1.asp

To find a club or other astronomy-related organization near you,
search SkyandTelescope.com's directory,

http://SkyandTelescope.com/resources/organizations/

Since 1989 Sky & Telescope has given its prestigious Astronomy Day
Award to the events or displays judged most successful in achieving
the core concept of the event: "Bringing Astronomy to the People."
[http://SkyandTelescope.com/resources/calendar/article_500_1.asp] The 
grand prizewinner receives a plaque awarded at the Astronomical
League's annual convention and a $250 gift certificate from Sky
Publishing, good toward the purchase of magazine subscriptions,
books, star atlases, software, photographic prints, globes, or other
products. 

The Astronomical League maintains a Web page listing Astronomy Day 
events across the USA,

http://www.astroleague.org/al/astroday/adactiv03.htm

Lunar Eclipse

On Thursday night, May 15-16, the full Moon will pass directly
through the northern part of the Earth's shadow, providing a colorful
spectacle for skywatchers throughout the Americas, Europe, and
Africa. For North Americans the 3 1/4-hour event happens in "prime
time," from about 10 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (7 p.m.
to 10:15 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, though the early partial phases
occur before sunset/moonrise on the West Coast).

In early May Sky & Telescope will issue a more detailed press release 
about this eclipse, including a timetable and instructions on what to 
look for. Note that this is the first total lunar eclipse in 2 1/2
years and the first one visible across the Americas since January
2000. This year brings two total eclipses of the Moon, and the
second, on November 9th, will also be visible from the United States.

Solar Eclipse

At the end of the month, on Saturday morning, May 31st, the Moon will 
pass directly between the Earth and the Sun. The last time this 
happened, on December 4, 2002, skygazers in Africa and Australia 
witnessed a total solar eclipse. But this time the Moon will be a
little farther from the Earth, and the Earth a little closer to the
Sun, so the Moon's angular size won't be quite large enough to mask
the Sun totally. Instead, skywatchers in Iceland, northern Scotland,
and parts of Greenland will experience a brilliant ring of
sunlight -- the hallmark of an annular eclipse. Elsewhere across
Europe, as well as for parts of Asia and North America, the Moon will
glance across the Sun, taking no more than a "bite" out of its disk
when viewed through a safe solar filter. See our accompanying
timetable for details,

http://SkyandTelescope.com/aboutsky/pressreleases/
article_942_3.asp#solar

Solar Safety

When viewing the Sun, regardless of the time of day, simple, proper 
precautions are required. For the May 31st solar eclipse, it is easy
to view the event indoors by pinhole projection. Use a pin to poke a
tiny hole in an index card. Hold the card up to the Sun in a window,
and display the image of the Sun projected by the pinhole onto a
solid white background (for example, a sheet of paper). You'll be
able to watch the Sun go through all phases of the eclipse. To see
tiny Mercury move across the Sun on May 7th, you'll need a larger,
sharper image, which you can get by projection through a small
telescope or binoculars. 

For those who prefer direct views, safe solar filters for telescopic
or naked-eye observing are available from a variety of suppliers
[http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/objects/sun/article_101_1.asp]. 
Other safe ways to observe the Sun are described in a series of
articles in the Observing section of SkyandTelescope.com,

http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/objects/sun/

More information about all these events, and how to enjoy them,
appears in the May 2003 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine.

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