Mercury Passes <br />Across the Face of the Sun.<br />It is a rare event that will <br />only happen 14 times this century.<br />As seen from Earth, <br />the planet Mercury will pass <br />in front of the face of the Sun.<br />This happens when Mercury, <br />the Earth and the Sun are lined <br />up precisely in three dimensions.<br />Mercury's orbit around the <br />Sun takes 88 days. The next such <br />transit will not occur until 2032.<br />People living in South America, <br />parts of North America and West Africa, <br />Central America, the Caribbean and small portion <br />of Greenland will be able to view the entire event.<br />The smallest and innermost planet <br />in the solar system will appear as a <br />black dot, silhouetted against the Sun.<br />Astronomers recommend <br />following safety advice, as <br />looking directly into the Sun can <br />cause permanent eyesight damage
