Source: Huffington Post
Mercury and the sun are set to dance Monday in a rare astronomical phenomenon you won’t want to miss.
In what’s known as a planetary transit, the solar system’s smallest planet will appear as a tiny black spot slowly crossing the face of our star.
It’s the first time the event has occurred in a decade, and those who miss it will have to wait until 2019 for the next opportunity.
The 7.5-hour transit will begin at 7:12 a.m. EDT, when Mercury will “start to make a tiny dent in the sun’s disk,” and will last until 2:42 p.m. It will be visible in its entirety across the U.S. East Coast, as well as in South America, western Europe and western Africa, according to NASA. Those located in Western U.S. states will be able to view it after sunrise.
It won’t be visible to the naked eye. If you don’t have your own gear, don’t worry. NASA will be streaming the transit live on NASA TV and its Facebook page.
As the planet makes its “leisurely journey across the face of the sun,” it will appear 1/158 the size of the sun, according to NASA.
“Astronomers get excited when any two things come close to each other in the heavens,” Louis Mayo, program manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a statement. “This is a big deal for us.”
Categories: Astronomy, The Muslim Times