LOOK UP: Starting at 2:12 p.m. today, Mercury will transit the
sun – an astronomical occurrence that will not be seen again until
May 2016.
At least, that’s the word from the Carnegie Science Center’s
Henry Buhl Jr. Observatory in Pittsburgh. We add that caveat
because of a bogus report a few years ago about Mars appearing as
large as the moon.
But before you look up, a word of caution: Do not look at the
sun without proper eye protection! You’ll also need a telescope.
Only use solar filtered telescopes to safely observe this event,
according to Buhl astronomers.
Mercury will appear to be only 1/194 the size of the sun. Seen
through a telescope, the planet will appear as a small black dot
moving across the face of the sun beginning from the southeastern
edge. This rare event will be fully visible only in the
Pacific.
The people at Buhl tell us that observers in western
Pennsylvania will see at least a partial transit, weather
permitting, starting around 2:12 p.m. and ending at sunset.
This marks the first time Mercury has transited the sun since
2003. Only transits of Mercury and Venus are seen from earth.
TIE PLANT: Rocco Camas of Bradford dropped by last week with a
photo of a portion of the workers at the Tie Plant which once
operated on High Street.
The photo is way too big for our purposes but we can list the
names of some of the people posing in front of the old plant.
Rocco, whose father is among the workers, tells us the crew
pictured worked in the creosote operation.
His list of names – and he can’t vouch for all these spellings –
include Sam Nuzzo, Don McKnight, Angelo Pascarella, Pat Pascale,
Louie Nuzzo, Al Gocella, Babe Piscitelli, Val Mongillo, Carm
Pascarella, Mike Thomas;
Carm “Fotte” Rizzano, Rocky Camas, Bob Frazier, Slim Thomas,
Dominic “Tub” Scarano, Jim Murry, Jim Oliver, Joe Cici, Groviano
Mongillo, George Merrit, and Walter Peoria.
In addition, he had the last names of two others – Pascale and
Hart – but not the first names.
Rocco tells us he got the idents in 1994 from his uncle Val
Mongillo who was in the nursing home at the time, but has since
passed away. Rocco believes the photos was taken in the 1920s or
1930s.
