On Monday (May 9) Mercury will pass between Earth and the Sun. For several hours it will be possible to see Mercury’s small disk silhouetted against the disk of the Sun. If skies are clear we will open the Bishop Observatory on the Rome campus for viewing. Stop by between 9 AM and 2 PM and have a look. For folks on the Cartersville campus, Tellus Museum plans to host a public viewing session.
http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/transit/2016-may-9
http://eclipsewise.com/oh/tm2016.html
IMPORTANT – NEVER, NEVER, NEVER EVEN GLANCE AT THE SUN THROUGH A TELESCOPE OR BINOCULARS (NOT EVEN FOR A SECOND) WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE SOLAR FILTER IN PLACE. YOU WOULD BE INSTANTLY AND PERMANTLY BLINDED. REALLY.
Also, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower is predicted to peak between midnight tonight (5/5) and sunrise tomorrow (5/6) so be on the lookout for shooting stars. You might be able to catch 20 – 40 per hour from a dark location with clear horizons.