The planet Mercury will pass between Earth and the sun today. Out of the 8 planets in our Solar System, Mercury is the closest to the sun, Earth is third from the sun. Mercury’s journey between the Earth and the sun will be invisible to the naked eye or binoculars. In fact, it is dangerous to attempt to view it. However, astronomy groups across the world are offering the chance to view the rare spectacle through filtered telescopes.
Even with the help of special viewing devices, certain areas of the world will not be able to see it at all, such as far eastern Asia and Antarctica. Much of the United States and western Europe will have a good view for more than seven hours. While Earth orbits the sun every 365 days, Mercury orbits the sun every 88 days. However, Mercury’s orbit is tilted, which means it will only pass directly between the Earth and the sun 14 times in the next 100 years. Aside from today, the next time will be in 2019 and after that, 2032. READ MORE