The Sky Tonight Update: Transit of Mercury Across the Sun, May 9

This May 9, the planet Mercury will move directly between the Earth and the Sun. Viewers with telescopes and approved solar filters will be able to observe the dark disk of the planet Mercury moving across the face of the Sun. This is an extremely rare event that occurs only once every few years.

There will be one other transit of Mercury in 2019 and then the next one will not take place until 2039. This transit will be visible throughout North America; Mexico; Central America; South America; and parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The best place to view this event in its entirety will be the eastern United States and eastern South America.

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