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To project a 9 inch image of the sun on a white screen in order to see the transit of planet Mercury on November 11, 2019. The transit of Mercury is a relatively rare occurrence, There are approximately 13 transits of Mercury each century.

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The Transit of Mercury

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School:
Alternative Schools 
Subject:
Science 
Teacher:
Richard (Bart) Thomas 
Students Impacted:
200 
Grade:
9-12 
Date:
July 3, 2019

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

 

Glenn Church - $307.95

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Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 500

On Monday, November 11, 2019 students/staff were able to observe the Transit of Mercury at two alternative school locations, Naples Beacon and Immokalee Beacon High School.  

Students from Naples Beacon, Phoenix, LWIT High, ELCATE, New Beginnings, and Naples Immokalee were able to see planet mercury come in front of the sun.  Students were able to view this rare occurence with projection devices as part of the grant received from Champions of Learning.  In addition, volunteers from the local Everglades Astronomical Society brought solar telescopes to each site.  

Students learned how to safely look at the sun with many different devices, distinguish between the size comparison between planets and our star, the sun.  Students hopefully understood what the the term transit indicated and the reason it does not happen often.  Added vocabulary terms included inferior planets and there location in our solar system. 

As part of the event, posters were used to describe the next solar eclipses to be seen in North America.  There was  discussion of the pathway of the umbral shadows and the % of sun eclipsed in different parts of the United States.

There were posters of the eclipse percentages for the annular solar eclipse of 2023 and the total solar eclipse of 2024. 

Students and staff were very appreciative of the opportunity to see the Transit of Mercury.  The next time it will be visible in the United States will be 2049!          

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Transit of Mercury Projection

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Transit of Mercury Projection

 

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Transit of Mercury Projection

 

Original Grant Overview

Goal

To project a 9 inch image of the sun on a white screen in order to see the transit of planet Mercury on November 11, 2019. The transit of Mercury is a relatively rare occurrence, There are approximately 13 transits of Mercury each century. 

 

What will be done with my students

In order to see planet Mercury transit the sun, the sun must be magnified. This solar projection device provides safe viewing of the sun on a white board or screen. Students will be looking at the sun on a white board and not looking directly at the sun. Using this method students can also safely see considerable detail in and around sunspot groups. The solar projection device is ideal for large groups of students and school staff.  

 

Benefits to my students

When viewing the sun, the most important consideration is EYE SAFETY. One safe way to observe sunspots, solar eclipses, and transits is to project an image of the sun onto a white screen or board. This device works any day of the year, when the sun is not hidden by any clouds. It is easy to setup and perfect for larger groups of students. It is an ideal device for teachers, discussing with students the dynamic sun and solar phenomena.
 

 

Budget Narrative

The solar projector and manfrotto tripod price include shipping.  

 

Items

# Item Cost
1 Solar projector $255.00
2 Manfrotto tripod $52.95
  Total: $307.95

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Special Thanks to Our Presenting Partners

Suncoast Credit Union