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Mercury Is Passing Before The Sun On Monday Morning

Courtesy Stargeezeradio.com

Astronomy buffs in the Louisville area will have a chance to safely view a relatively rare celestial event when the planet Mercury passes in front of the sun.

The transit begins early Monday morning.

A Mercury transit observation program will be held at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville. Visitors can view the event through specially filtered telescopes from 7 a.m. until it ends at 2:42 p.m.

The program will be led by members of the Louisville Astronomical Society. It's free, but there is a $2 charge to park at the Falls Interpretive Center.

The last Mercury transit was in 2006; the next one comes in 2019.

Viewing the sun without the proper solar filters will cause permanent eye damage.

Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.