Mercury to pass between Sun, Earth for six hours Monday

Dust off your eclipse glasses, and take a look up

ROANOKE, Va. – Hope you kept your solar eclipse glasses from a few years ago, because they'll be put to good use on Monday, November 11. This is when the planet, Mercury, will move in between the earth and Sun. (Mercury and Venus are the only two planets to do so).

It goes without saying that you shouldn't be staring directly at the sun. Mercury is so small in comparison to the sun, so binoculars and/or a telescope will help. When using these methods, make sure you're using the proper solar films on the front lens; not on the eyepiece. 

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Click here to see other ways to safely view the sun.

You can also live stream the event here.

The transit begins around 7:35 a.m. Monday and ends shortly after 1 p.m.

If you don't see this one, hopefully you will be able to catch it again in 2032!


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.