Today, you have the opportunity to watch an event – the transit of Venus — that won’t happen again for another 105 years!
What is the transit of Venus? It’s where Venus is positioned and visible between the Earth and the sun. Venus will appear like a tiny black dot moving across the sun. The visibility of this event has always been significant in that it allows scientist to determine the scale of our solar system.
One of the best places to watch this event is from Hawaii and you’ll have the benefit of watching the Venus transit live from the top of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, but from the convenience of your computer. Use this link to access the live webcast: Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Note that the webcast will be available today, June 5, from 11:45am local Hawaiian time or 5:45pm EST.
Per the NASA website, “This is the Official Sun-Earth Day Webcast for the Transit of Venus. Don’t miss the NASA EDGE team and the Sun-Earth Day team as they bring you this last of a lifetime event live from the top of Mount Mauna Kea, Hawaii, through our partnership with the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy.”
While we’re talking about this special event, it’s a great time to mention that Hawaii is one of the top places in the world for astronomy. I’m not an astronomer, but I really, really enjoy stargazing in Hawaii. The number of stars you can see against a dark sky is truly amazing.
Sheila Beal
