The transit of Mercury began at 7 a.m. on Eastern Daylight Time, said the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The smallest planet of the Solar System can now be watched as a tiny dot crossing the Sun. Next time it happens again, it will be in 2032. The space agency is currently issuing almost-live videos.

The “rare celestial event” will reach a mid-point at around 10:47 a.m. The special Mercury’s journey lasts 7.5 hours. To watch the most cratered planet in the Solar System, people need a telescope or high-powered binoculars. NASA said it is important to consider light filters made of coated glass.

The transit of Mercury began at 7 a.m. on Eastern Daylight Time, said NASA. The smallest planet of the Solar System can now be watched as a tiny dot crossing the Sun. Photo credit: NASA / Vox
The transit of Mercury began at 7 a.m. on Eastern Daylight Time, said NASA. The smallest planet of the Solar System can now be watched as a tiny dot crossing the Sun. Photo credit: NASA / Vox

Three NASA satellites are transmitting images of the transit, which is being broadcasted almost-live on NASA.gov. Scientists will the event from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time, on NASA TV. Moreover, the Twitter account @NASASunEarth is posting GIFs and facts of the planet.

Mercury gets close to the sun every 88 days. However, Earth, the Sun, and the small planet do not commonly align. Transits are a great opportunity for astronomers to analyze how planets and stars move in space, said NASA.

Mercury’s visit is being covered by dozens of scientists worldwide

The transit is being covered by scientists for the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a spacecraft managed by NASA and the European Space Agency. Hinode, a collaboration between space agencies of Japan, the U.S., the U.K. and Europe, will also analyze the alignment, under the command of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Information obtained from the planet’s movement can help astronomers calibrate their instruments. Decades ago it was hard to observe transits, said Joseph Gurman, scientist at The Solar & Heliospheric Observatory. However, instruments in the SOHO spacecraft can help astronomers with the task, even when Earth conditions such as bad weather are interfering.

“Astronomers get excited when any two things come close to each other in the heavens. This is a big deal for us. Back in 1631, astronomers were only doing visual observations on very small telescopes by today’s standards,” said Louis Mayo, program manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a press release.

The first time astronomers observed a Mercury transit was in 1631. During that time, astronomers measured the alleged size of the planet’s disk, for the first time ever. They also calculated the possible distance from Earth to the sun, said NASA. Currently, space agencies use data of transits to test spacecrafts and instruments.

Source: NASA Press Release