Join in Monday, May 9th, as tiny Mercury crosses the Sun's disk for the first time since 2006. S&T's exclusive video feeds and expert interviews will air throughout the 7½-hour event.

Catch the full transit of Mercury, now on archived video feed at Livestream.com/SkyandTelescope/Mercury
2006 Mercury transit closeup
The May 9th transit of Mercury begins at 7:12 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (11:12 Universal Time), though the first contact might vary by a few minutes depending on your location..
Fred Espenak

When the innermost planet makes its slow-motion dash across the Sun's face on Monday, May 9th, you'll be able to watch as it happens if you connect with Sky & Telescope's live webcast of the event. You'll also learn how to view the Sun safely with your telescope — even if you don't have a solar filter.

Sky & Telescope has partnered with Dexter Southfield's Clay Center Observatory, along with other video feeds from around the U.S., to showcase the entire 7½-hour-long transit. Our exclusive webcast begins at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (11:00 Universal Time) and continues nonstop until 3:00 p.m. EDT (19:00 UT). Here's the link:

Sky & Telescope's Transit of Mercury Webcast

<i>Sky & Telescope</i>'s Transit of Mercury webcast
Join host Kelly Beatty on Monday, May 9th, for Sky & Telescope's live webcast of the transit of Mercury.
Sky & Telescope

To enhance the experience, we've lined up one-on-one interviews with experts on the Sun and Mercury from around the country, including:

● Jay M. Pasachoff, solar researcher and director of Williams College's Hopkins Observatory

● Matthew Penn, associate astronomer at the U.S. National Solar Observatory

● William Sheehan, science historian and co-author of In Search Of Planet Vulcan

● Henry "Trae" Winter, solar physicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Transits of Mercury are relatively rare — this is the planet's first since 2006. So don't miss it!

Eager for more? Find out about next year's "mega transit" — the 2017 total solar eclipse. Enter your email to download your FREE guide to the eclipse that will travel from coast to coast. You'll also be subscribed to Sky & Telescope's free e-newsletter that will keep you up to date with the latest astronomy and observing news.
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About J. Kelly Beatty

J. Kelly Beatty, S&T Senior Editor, joined the staff of Sky Publishing in 1974 and specializes in planetary science and space exploration. Learn more about him here.

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