Monday morning starting around 7:30 and lasting until 1:10, Mercury will cross the face of the Sun as seen from Earth. Some of you may recall when we viewed the last Venus transit from the helicopter pad back in June of 2012. While Venus transits are relatively rare (pairs of transits separated by 7 years every 214 years) there are about a dozen Mercury transits each century. If you miss this one, the next one is in 2032.
You won’t be able to see the transit with the naked eye unless you have exceptional vision (be sure to wear solar glasses if you try!). Mercury is much smaller and closer to the Sun making it less than 1/10th the size of Venus. Best way to view if you don’t have access to a telescope and solar filter is to watch it on online.
