Mercury rising: Astronomers gear up for planetary alignment

[Judi Lynn]

Mercury rising: Astronomers gear up for planetary alignment

Pascale Mollard, Mariëtte Le Roux

May 8, 2016

Paris (AFP) - Astronomers are preparing for one of the highlights of the skywatchers' year, when the Sun, Mercury and Earth all line up -- a phenomenon that happens just a dozen or so times per century.

Mercury will be seen through telescopes as a black dot inching over the face of our star, providing a celestial spectacle -- weather permitting -- that will last seven and a half hours.

"At the start, Mercury will look as if it is nibbling at the edge of the Sun, and then it will very slowly cross its surface and leave the other side," said Pascal Descamps of the Paris Observatory.

"It's something rare, because it requires the Sun, Mercury and Earth to be in almost perfect alignment."

The smallest recognised planet in the Solar System, Mercury completes an orbit every 88 days, and passes between the Earth and the Sun every 116 days.

More:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mercury-rising-astronomers-gear-planetary-alignment-032838938.html?nhp=1

[shenmue]

1. Harmonic convergence?

[emsimon33]

2. Very cool!

[nitpicker]

3. Link to BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36228327

[krispos42]

4. I saw it with 7x50 binoculars and solar filters

Cool, but very small. Looked like a sunspot.

Finally had a sunny day here in Connecticut! It's been raining for about 2 weeks now.