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.
