samedi 14 mai 2016

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These Photos Capture a Beautiful, Rare Cosmic Moment Between Mercury and the Sun

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Mercury passed in front of the sun on May 9, and if you're like us, you probably missed this rare event on your way to work. The cosmic occurrence only happens a dozen times per century and began early in the morning on May 9, at 7:12 a.m., lasting for seven and a half hours. Anyone could have seen Mercury's transit if they had a pair of high-powered binoculars or a backyard telescope.

If you didn't have any of these options available to you, that's completely OK. NASA's Facebook page gave a recap of the incredible event and even took to Twitter to share some awesome images of Mercury trekking in front of the sun. According to NASA, the planet goes around the sun every 88 days, but rarely do all three bodies (Mercury, the sun, and Earth) align. Usually, Mercury darts above or below our line of sight to the sun, so the fact we can see it today is pretty incredible. And the next Mercury transit isn't until 2019!

Until then, see what you've missed below, and check out other stunning snapshots from cosmic events.






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