Transit of Venus

On June 5, watch the transit of Venus—the next transit will not occur until the year 2117.

For observers in New England, the transit will take place during sunset, beginning around 6:00 p.m. EDT, so we will only see part of the event because the sun will sink below the horizon before the transit is complete.

The New Hampshire Astronomical Society will have telescopes set up around the state and will host a live broadcast of the transit in Portsmouth so that people can view this rare event. The McAuliffe-Shepherd Discovery Center will also provide a viewing opportunity.

Like a solar eclipse with Venus instead of our moon, transits of Venus occur in pairs separated by eight years. This is followed by a period of either 105 ½ or 121 ½ years. The last transit of Venus occurred on June 8, 2004.

Since Galileo invented his telescope in 1610 and first observed the phases of Venus, there have only been seven transits of the planet.

Note: To prevent eye damage, never look directly at the sun. Even though the sun will be partly covered and even at sunset, the sun is very bright. Instead, use proper filters when looking through a telescope or binoculars.

Annular Solar Eclipse on May 20

On Sunday, the moon will cover about 90 percent of the sun in an annular solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the sun, the moon, and Earth are aligned such that the moon passes directly between us and the sun. The term “annular” means that the moon does not completely cover the sun, leaving a ring of light around the moon.

The eclipse will begin at sunrise in China; pass over the Pacific Ocean; and move across parts of Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas before sunset. The eclipse follows a specific track; outside of this track, observers will only see a partial eclipse. Unfortunately, none of the eclipse will be visible in the Northeast because the sun will already have set.

Note: To prevent eye damage, never look directly at the sun. Even though the sun will be partly covered and even at sunset, the sun is very bright. Instead, use proper filters when looking through a telescope or binoculars.

Supermoon 2012

This Saturday, May 5, the full moon may appear a little larger than usual: it will be a supermoon. A “supermoon” occurs when the full moon for the month coincides with the moon’s perigree, or closest approach to Earth for the year. The moon will become completely full at precisely 11:35 p.m. EDT, and it will appear 16 percent brighter than it normally does.