Catch 'Transit of Venus' on Tuesday

Burnsville residents are in for a rare treat on Tuesday night: On June 5, Venus will appear as a black dot passing along th surface of the sun, an event that has occurred only 53 times since 2,000 B.C.

The so-called Transit of Venus was first recorded by English astronomer Jeremiah Horrocks in 1639, has also been observed by Captain James Cook in 1769. Cook gathered transit data from various locations around the world that used to calculate the distance between Earth and the sun and the size of the solar system.

According to NASA, such transits come in pairs every 120 years, with the pair spaced eight years apart. In 2004, the first Transit of Venus was not visible in Minnesota.

The transit will begin at around 5 p.m., on Tuesday, June 5, the planet of Venus will cross the sun and be visible as a black dot drifting across the sun until it sets, sometime around 8:30 p.m.

Watching the transit requires some caution. Like a solar eclipse, looking directly at the transit can permanently damage your eyes. Your best bet is to use a pair of eclipse shades or welding glasses. Do not use standard sunglasses. If you're using a telescope be sure to afix a solar filter to it.  

Don't have your own telescope? Want to view the Transit through something more sophisticated? Just west of the Twin Cities is the Onan Observatory at Baylor Regional Park in Noorwood Young America. The observatory is free to visit, but a parking pass is required to enter the park. The observatory will open at 4 p.m. and the Transit of Venus will beginning shortly after 5 p.m. The facility has a number of telescopes and volunteers on hand to help folks watch the event.

NASA will also be broadcasting the event live from Hawaii. For more information about the worldwide events, safety precautions for viewing, educational content and social media activities, visit: 

http://venustransit.nasa.gov

The public can follow the event on Twitter on #VenusTransit and download a free mobile app at: http://venustransit.nasa.gov/2012/multimedia/apps.php

Don't miss it: The next transit is forecast for December 2117.