Seeing Mercury in Transit

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By Jessie Forand/ECHO

Joshua Benes, a research technician for the UVM Rubenstein School, University of Vermont, set up camp in Hoehl Park on May 9, 2016, to watch as Mercury made a rare transit around the sun. The planet makes this move just 13 times per century, Benes said.

With a picnic blanket laid out, offering cake to the about 20 curious passersby who stopped to inquire, Benes gazed into his telescope every few minutes, patiently waiting in between looks for clouds to pass.

Benes began his dive into the astronomy world in 2003, when he got his telescope and witnessed the transit of Venus in 2004. When Venus made the journey again in 2012, he organized a watch event.

Seeing these incredible sights puts the size of the universe into perspective, Benes said, and gets him thinking about the larger makeup of the solar system.

About ECHO

ECHO is a dynamic, nationally acclaimed, lake aquarium and science center committed to engaging diverse public audiences and providing experiential, relevant and lifelong educational experiences for all our guests. Founded in 2003, ECHO houses more than 70 species of live animal ambassadors in Vermont’s first LEED certified building. This innovative science center and aquarium displays life in the Champlain Basin and inspires visitors to positively impact the world around them. ECHO is the public face of the Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, a 2.7 acre environmental campus on the Burlington Waterfront.

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