In+the+News


 * In The News, June 4-8, 2012 **

On June 5th, 2012, Venus will pass across the face of the sun, producing a silhouette that no one alive today will likely see again.Transits of Venus are very rare, coming in pairs separated by more than a hundred years. This June's transit, the last of a 2004-2012 pair, won't be repeated until the year 2117, 105 years from now. Fortunately, the event is widely visible. Observers on seven continents, even a sliver of Antarctica, will be in position to see it. The nearly 7-hour transit begins at 3:09 pm Pacific Daylight Time (22:09 UT) on June 5th. The timing favors observers in the mid-Pacific (NASA's observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii) where the sun is high overhead during the crossing. In Florida, the transit will be at its best around sunset - let's hope we have clear skies! Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters media type="youtube" key="4Z9rM8ChTjY" height="315" width="560" align="right"

Learn more about the history of this solar event at NASA's web site