Mercury passing directly between Earth, sun in rare transit Monday

A rare astronomical alignment is happening Monday, as Mercury passes directly between Earth and the sun -- an event known as a transit.

The Mercury transit is visible across the Americas, Europe, Africa and western Asia, according to AccuWeather.
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You can view the transit with a telescope that has proper solar filters, but be warned that looking at the sun without proper solar filters could cause permanent eye damage.

Transits are very rare and occur about 13 times every century.
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The next Mercury transit won't happen until Nov. 13, 2032.