Next month Mercury will pass in front of the sun in a rare event

If you’re not already excited enough that Earth is about to experience spectacular meteor showers as it moves through the tail of Halley’s Comet, then wrap your head around this — at the start of May we’re also going to be able to watch the littlest planet Mercury travel in front of the Sun.

Because Mercury’s orbit is so tight, its transit is more common than the twice-in-a-century transit of Venus. But it’s still a rare event, and the planet won’t travel between our star and planet again for another three and a half years, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to feel humbled by just how giant our Sun really is. READ MORE