From 4 to sunset, Tuesday June 5, Los Alamos will be treated to a rare “transit of Venus” when the planet comes so precisely between the sun and the earth that its image can be seen crossing the solar disk.
Venus is small enough that a telescope (equipped with a special filter to reduce brightness) will be needed.
PEEC has such a telescope and will be showing the transit to anyone interested.
A transit of Venus happens only four times every 243 years. However,, the spacing between each occurrence is very uneven.
The last transit occurred in June 2004 – and after this June’s event there won’t be another until December 2117.
Come to PEEC any time between 4 p.m. and sunset and see this rare event.
The Pajarito Astronomers will also be having a viewing at Overlook Park from 6 p.m. until sunset. FREE.
Two other options for viewing the transit of Venus are the Bradbury Science Museum and UNM Los Alamos. The Bradbury Science Museum will have viewers in the parking lot outside the museum. UNM Los Alamos will have viewing near the center of campus from 4 p.m. to sunset. UNMLA astronomy professor Tom Beach will have telescopes set up for viewing.
