Mercury is passing in front of the sun Monday in a rare phenomenon

MONTREAL -- Quebec astronomy enthusiasts could witness a rare phenomenon Monday: the passing of the planet Mercury in front of the sun.

The next sighting in Quebec will be in 2049.

Space for Life is inviting anyone who is interested in taking part in the event to visit the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium from 7 a.m. until 1:04 p.m.

“In the event of bad weather or extensive cloud cover, we won’t be able to see Mercury’s transit, but we’ll be happy to have you join in our activities and enjoy images of the phenomenon,” the organization states.

According to the weather forecast, the best observation window will be between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, travelling in a smaller orbit than the Earth – 88 days instead of the Earth’s 365 ¼ days.

Each century, Mercury passes between the sun and the Earth about 13 or 14 times.

Space for Life reminds anyone who wants to take part in the event not to look specifically at the sun. The activity is free and open to the public.

Watch the Mercury Transit 2019 LIVE Stream here:
 

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  In this composite image provided by NASA, the planet Mercury passes directly between the sun and Earth on May 9, 2016 in a transit which lasted seven-and-a-half-hours. (NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO/Genna Duberstein via AP)