Venus is star turn in rare celestial drama
Source: Agencies |
June 2, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IT'S a spectacle that won't be repeated for another century - the sight of Venus inching across the face of the sun.
So unless scientists discover the fountain of youth, few of us alive today will likely witness this celestial phenomenon - dubbed a "transit of Venus" - again.
It's so rare that museums and schools around the globe are hosting Venus viewing festivities. Even astronauts aboard the International Space Station plan to observe the event.
The drama unfolds on Tuesday afternoon from the Western Hemisphere - Wednesday morning from the Eastern Hemisphere.
Venus will appear as a small black dot gliding across the sun. As in a solar eclipse, skywatchers should not stare directly at the sun, but instead wear special protective glasses.
The transit, lasting 6 hours and 40 minutes, will be visible from the western Pacific, eastern Asia and eastern Australia.
Skywatchers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the northern part of South America will see the beginning of the show before the sun sets. Europe, western and central Asia, eastern Africa and western Australia will catch the tail end after sunrise.
Those who don't want to leave their homes can follow live webcasts by NASA and various observatories.
Skygazers who want the full experience are flocking to Hawaii, one of the prime viewing spots from where the whole transit will be visible.
From the world-famous Waikiki Beach on Oahu to the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island, eclipse glasses will be passed out so that people can safely watch Venus crossing.
Just remember to have patience, say experts. "There's no one big climactic moment. It takes longer to happen" than a solar or lunar eclipse, said Larry O'Hanlon, who does outreach at the WM Keck Observatory on the Big Island.
The second planet from the sun between Mercury and Earth, Venus is about the same size as Earth. It appears as one of the brightest objects in the night sky because its thick clouds reflect sunlight back into space.
There will be no obvious change to the brightness of the sky during the event; Venus only blocks out a tiny fraction of the sun.
"You have to know it's happening," said David DeVorkin, a senior curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
This is the third celestial show to grace the sky in little over a fortnight. A day earlier, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible from western North America, South America, Australia and eastern Asia. And there was the much-hyped "ring of fire" solar eclipse on May 20.
Venus transits occur in pairs, each pair separated by more than 100 years. The last one occurred in 2004 and next pair are in 2117 and 2125.
So unless scientists discover the fountain of youth, few of us alive today will likely witness this celestial phenomenon - dubbed a "transit of Venus" - again.
It's so rare that museums and schools around the globe are hosting Venus viewing festivities. Even astronauts aboard the International Space Station plan to observe the event.
The drama unfolds on Tuesday afternoon from the Western Hemisphere - Wednesday morning from the Eastern Hemisphere.
Venus will appear as a small black dot gliding across the sun. As in a solar eclipse, skywatchers should not stare directly at the sun, but instead wear special protective glasses.
The transit, lasting 6 hours and 40 minutes, will be visible from the western Pacific, eastern Asia and eastern Australia.
Skywatchers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the northern part of South America will see the beginning of the show before the sun sets. Europe, western and central Asia, eastern Africa and western Australia will catch the tail end after sunrise.
Those who don't want to leave their homes can follow live webcasts by NASA and various observatories.
Skygazers who want the full experience are flocking to Hawaii, one of the prime viewing spots from where the whole transit will be visible.
From the world-famous Waikiki Beach on Oahu to the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island, eclipse glasses will be passed out so that people can safely watch Venus crossing.
Just remember to have patience, say experts. "There's no one big climactic moment. It takes longer to happen" than a solar or lunar eclipse, said Larry O'Hanlon, who does outreach at the WM Keck Observatory on the Big Island.
The second planet from the sun between Mercury and Earth, Venus is about the same size as Earth. It appears as one of the brightest objects in the night sky because its thick clouds reflect sunlight back into space.
There will be no obvious change to the brightness of the sky during the event; Venus only blocks out a tiny fraction of the sun.
"You have to know it's happening," said David DeVorkin, a senior curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
This is the third celestial show to grace the sky in little over a fortnight. A day earlier, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible from western North America, South America, Australia and eastern Asia. And there was the much-hyped "ring of fire" solar eclipse on May 20.
Venus transits occur in pairs, each pair separated by more than 100 years. The last one occurred in 2004 and next pair are in 2117 and 2125.
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