Today, Mercury is passing between the Earth and the Sun, in an event known as a solar transit. That means that over the course of 7.5 hours, the tiny planet will appear as a small black dot slowly creeping across a portion of the Sun's disc. It may be a slow trot, but Mercury's crossing happens only 13 times a century, so try not to miss it.

If you want to see the transit yourself, you need a telescope, as well as a specialized solar filter. Fortunately, NASA and other observatories are covering the event for those of us without fancy equipment. Astronomers are observing the transit with high-powered telescopes and satellites, providing pictures and live streams for the space geeks out there.

Check back here throughout the day to see some of the photos, and catch a live stream of the event here.





Grid View The beginning of Mercury's transit. (NASA)

Mercury is making moves. (NASA)

The beginning of Mercury's transit. (NASA)

An image of the transit taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Another image from NASA's SDO.

A transit through the clouds. (NASA)



