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Looking Up
By Bob Eklund
NASA is inviting viewers around the world to see a rare celestial event, with video coverage of the transit of the Sun by planet Mercury on Monday, May 9.
Mercury passes directly between Earth and Sun only about 13 times a century, its last trek taking place in 2006. Viewing this event safely requires a telescope fitted with a solar filter.
NASA offers several ways for the public to view the event, including images on NASA.gov, a one-hour NASA Television special, and social media coverage.
Mercury will appear as a small black dot as it crosses the edge of the Sun and into view at 7:12 a.m. EDT (4:12 a.m PDT). The planet will make a leisurely journey across the face of the Sun, reaching mid-point at approximately 7:47 a.m. PDT, and exiting the golden disk at 11:42 a.m. PDT.
CAUTION! NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITHOUT A PROPER SOLAR FILTER, AS THIS CAN CAUSE SEVERE EYE DAMAGE OR BLINDNESS!
NASA will stream a live program on NASA TV and the agency’s Facebook page from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. PDT. Viewers can ask questions via Facebook and Twitter using #AskNASA.
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