Monday Watch A Rare Event As Mercury Cross The Sun (Video)

On Monday, Mercury will pass between the Earth and the sun, a event that only takes place about 13 times every 100 years.

Scientists are planning to watch the transit of Mercury using Earth-based and in-space telescopes. The observations they gather could help researchers learn more about Mercury’s atmosphere.

The last transit of Mercury was in 2006, and the next one will be in 2019.

“Astronomers get excited when any two things come close to each other in the heavens,” Louis Mayo, program manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a statement. “This is a big deal for us.”

“Three of NASA’s solar telescopes will watch the transit for just that reason.”

The transit — which lasts for about 7.5 hours — will be visible for millions of people around the world beginning at 7:12 a.m. and lasting until 2:42 p.m. ET, according to NASA.

The East Coast of the United States will be able to see the entire transit, while the West Coast will be able to see most of the event after the sun rises.