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by Andrea Bettini 11 November 2019It is the astronomical event of November and one of the most important of the year. From 1.35 pm today Mercury will pass in front of the Sun, a phenomenon invisible to the naked eye but much awaited: it will be repeated only in 2032.A mini-eclipse
In essence, it will be a mini-eclipse. Mercury, very small and about 100 million kilometers from us, will cover a fraction of the solar disk. To cross it completely it will take almost six hours. The transit will end at 19.04, when in Italy the Sun will actually already have set.
To be observed with due precautions
To observe the phenomenon you will need a telescope. But be careful: you will absolutely need to place a special sunscreen on the instrument to prevent damage to your eyes.
Events in many cities
The transit of Mercury in front of the Sun occurs on average 13 times every century. The last was May 9, 2016. The next will be November 13, 2032. For the occasion, the National Institute of Astrophysics has organized guided observations with astronomers in many cities. A list can be found at this link: https://www.media.inaf.it/2019/11/08/appuntamenti-transito/
Those who cannot participate will be able to watch the phenomenon in streaming on the internet, thanks to the live broadcast of the National Galileo Telescope on the Canary Islands.