Transit of Venus 2012

No, the transit of Venus is not a love story about a gorgeous, goddess-like woman being discovered by Hollywood while riding a public bus. Rather, the transit of Venus is a rare astronomical phenomenon that will be occur this week. A real once in a lifetime event, so to speak, for us mere mortals.

Here’s the scoop:

Facts about the transit of Venus

• According to NASA, Venus will cross in front of the sun at approximately 6:09 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 5, 2012.
• The event will last for seven hours.
• Transits of Venus first gained worldwide attention in the 18th century.
• The celestial event has been witnessed only seven times since the time of Galileo.
• This may be the last Venus transit of our lifetime; the next transit won’t take place until 105 years from now, in the year 2117.

How to view the transit of Venus

• Weather will determine if the transit will be visible to the naked eye. The current weather prediction from NOAA for our area is cloudy with a chance of showers.
• Viewers will be able to see Venus as a black dot moving across the sun.
• Do not stare at the sun. Venus will cover too little of the sun to block its blinding glare. 
• The safest way to view the transition is indirectly, using a pinhole projector.

Where to view the Goddess planet in transit across the sky

• Find a safe spot with a clear view of the night sky.
• Scheduled transit events in Connecticut will take place from about 5:30 p.m. until sunset at about 8:22 p.m at the following locations:
  • The Discovery Museum, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport 203-372-3521 
  • Rolnick Observatory, 182 Bayberry Lane, Westport 203-293-8759 
  • Leitner Family Observatory and Planetarium, 355 Prospect St., New Haven 203-285-8840 
  • Connecticut Museum of Natural History, University of Connecticut, Storrs 860-486-4460 
  • Danbury White Memorial Conservation Center, 80 Whitehall Road, Litchfield
• Online: From the cushions of your most comfortable couch, you can watch the transit of Venus on NASA's website. You could even enjoy it with a soda and popcorn or a glass of wine.

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How to photograph this once in a lifetime event

• The requirements for photographing this once in a lifetime event are the same as those for sunspots or a partial solar eclipse.
• Protect your eyes and equipment by using a proper filter to cut down the sun’s intense brightness.
• Use a telescope or telephoto lens.
• Shoot at high resolution.
• Focus, focus, focus. Don’t use the camera’s auto-focus function; switch to manual (M) mode and use the edge of the sun or nearby sunspots for focusing purposes.
• Don't forget spare batteries and memory cards. You wouldn't want to run out of batteries or memory at a time like this!

Resources for more information on the 2012 transit of Venus

• Discovery News, How to Photograph the transit of Venus Safely
• Ct Post, A rare chance to witness transit of Venus 
• NASA, Transit of Venus
• Huffington Post, Transit of Venus With 'The Bad Astronomer' Phil Plait

Know of a great local spot or any local get togethers to view the transit of Venus? Add it in the comments below.