Planet power - Mercury transits across the sun

Astronomers both professional and amateur across large parts of the globe — including ours own— will have their eyes peeled and telescopes and solar filters ready eyes peeled today for what is a relatively infrequent celestial event.

The solar system’s smallest planet, Mercury, will pass between the Earth and the sun. It will be coming our way again in 2032, and our North American readers will have an even longer wait, until 2049.