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![Harry Treece, of Carbondale, looks through a telescope Monday during the Transit of Mercury Public Astronomy Observation on the roof of Neckers Building. Treece, who previously worked in information technology at SIU, said he works closely with the physics department and the Astronomical Association of Southern Illinois to put on astronomy observations every month. "What's going on here is a transit of Mercury across the face of the sun," Treece said. "Mercury and Venus are the only two planets we can see between us and the sun because their orbits are closer to the sun than ours." He said Mercury can be seen in the morning and evening skies during most of the year. "I think some of the transits [when a planet passes between the Earth and sun] are the most exciting things I've seen so far." He said his interest in space started in grade school. "Looking at all the vastness in the night sky and all the beautiful things that are out there — nebulas, clusters of stars — it's just amazing," Treece said. — May 9, 2016, Carbondale, Ill. (Autumn Suyko | Daily Egyptian)](https://dailyegyptian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/966219a650667a3708da358f43cf10ae.jpg)