The Transit of Mercury — Watch it live today

No, don't go staring at the sun, booboo.

Instead, let the magic of the internet do the heavy lifting for you.

Beginning at 2:12 p.m. Eastern time today, Mercury will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun.

The passage, or transit as it is called in astronomy, will last for five hours and will be visible in near-real time here, with imagery from a Hawaiian observatory.

The last transit occurred in 2003 and the next happens in 2016, so don't miss it.