Monday will bring one of the rarest events in astronomy: a transit of Mercury across the face of the sun.
The solar transit happens less than twice a century with Venus, and 13 or 14 times a century with Mercury, according to Space.com.
Here’s the good news -- sky gazers on much of the Earth will be able to see the solar transit of Mercury. This transit lasts more than seven hours, and with enough of Earth turning, it allows for folks in the U.S., including Pittsburgh, the opportunity to see the entire rare sight. The transit will begin just after 7 a.m. Monday, lasting until just before 3 p.m., according to NASA. %
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An article from Space.com described the event as one that can be tough to see for those who don’t know what to look for. If you aren’t sure of where to look, it can be difficult to see the beginning of the event, known as the “first contact.”
During this time, sky gazers may see something known as the “black drop effect.” As Mercury makes its transit, it would look like a tiny black dot moving across the face of the sun.
There is some bad news though. NASA said Mercury is too small to see without magnification, but it can be seen with a telescope or binoculars. They must be outfitted with a solar filter since it’s not safe to look directly at the sun. Serious and permanent eye damage can occur without proper protection.
For those who don’t own a telescope or belong to an astronomy club, there’s still hope. NASA said it will have a near-live feed of images from the event on its website.