Mercury will pass in front of Sun in rare space event next week – and you can see it with binoculars
MERCURY will transit across the Sun next week for the last time until 2032.
If you want to watch this astronomy phenomenon all you'll need is some modified binoculars and the right location.
Mercury's transit event will occur on November 11.
It will take around five hours, 28 minutes and 27 seconds so if you're on the right continent you should have time to see it.
Unfortunately, budding astronomers in Australia and eastern/central Asia won't be able to witness it.
South America and eastern North America will get to see the transit entirely, Africa, Europe and the Middle East will see it towards sunset and western North America will get a glimpse at sunrise.
In the UK you should spot it best just before sunset.
In London, the Sun will set at 16:17 GMT but Mercury will begin its transit at 12:35 and reach the Sun's centre at 15:19.
Watching the transit at sunrise or sunset will give photographers a better chance of capturing Mercury's shadow.
Mercury is so small relative to the Sun so you will need binoculars, a telescope or a long camera lens to see it.
They must have special solar filters attached because you should never look directly at the Sun.
If you do it can cause permanent eye damage and even instant blindness.
You can buy special solar filter sheets online which you can attach to telescopes, binoculars and cameras.
Always make sure that filters are well attached and will not fall off.
Alternatively, you could watch it a live stream of the events online via the .
Luckily clear skies aren't a necessity for the event as the Sun should guarantee a good backdrop.
On average, mercury transits the Sun once per decade although it did last transit in 2016.
Mercury facts
Here's what you need to know...
- Mercury is the smallest planet
- Mercury has been known to humanity since ancient times and it is not known who discovered it
- It has no moons or rings
- It is the closest planet to the Sun
- It is the second hottest planet after Venus despite being closer to the Sun
- Mercury has more craters than any other planet
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