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The University of Toledo
06/01/2012 | News release
UT to celebrate transit of Venus June 5
distributed by noodls on 06/01/2012 06:44
Venus will pass between the sun and Earth Tuesday, June 5. This rare alignment will not happen again until 2117.
The University of Toledo Ritter Planetarium will celebrate this event with observing starting at 5:45 p.m. in McMaster Hall Room 2002.
During the transit, Venus will appear as a small dot slowly gliding across the sun.
"We will use our Heliostat solar telescope to safely project a large image of the sun on to a screen," said Alex Mak, associate director of Ritter Planetarium.
The planet named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty will begin its transit about 6:03 p.m.
"This is probably the most exciting moment and the official start of the transit," Mak said. "Unfortunately, the transit won't end until a few hours after sunset here in Toledo."
In addition to the Heliostat projection in McMaster Hall, visitors may view the transit with small instruments on the lawn before the sun sets behind the buildings.
"You may stay for a few minutes and catch a glimpse, or you can follow the transit with us until local sunset," Mak said.
If it's cloudy, a web feed of the transit from a location with better weather will be projected in McMaster Hall.
Mak cautioned: "Never view the sun directly without appropriate safety measures as serious damage, including blindness, can occur."
Read more about how to safely see the spectacle here.
Free parking will be available in the large lot on the east side of McMaster Hall.
For more information on the free, public viewing event, call Mak at 419.530.2650.
