Community Corner

Venus in Transit Over Eagle Rock Tuesday

The once-in-a-lifetime celestial event won't ignite passions again until 2117.

A little after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, residents of Southern California will have an opportunity to witness one of the rarest predictable celestial events—a transit of Venus.

Often referred to as the "Evening Star" or "Morning Star," Venus is the brightest natural object in our sky after the sun and the moon. As the second planet from the sun after Mercury, it's closer to the sun than Earth is. 

A "transit" of Venus occurs when Venus passes between us and the Sun in such a way that we can see Venus's silhouette backlit by the sun's brilliant light. The most recent occurence was in 2004; the next one will be in 2117. This is probably your last chance.

Find out what's happening in Eagle Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Were Venus either large enough or close enough to block out the sun's light as it passed, we would call this event an eclipse, as we do when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. Venus, however, is a little bit smaller than  Earth—and about 27 million miles away. When its tiny silhouette is viewed against the sun, which is another 66 million miles beyond, it can offer viewers a dramatic sense of the solar system's vast scale.

Assuming sufficiently clear skies, the transit will be visible for us starting at about 6:04 p.m. on Tuesday and will remain so until the sun sets. Those in the central and western U.S. will be able to enjoy it longer, while viewers in Alaska, Japan, and large sections of Australia, China, and Russia will be able to see it in its entirety. By the time the Sun rises on the East Coast on Wednesday, Venus will have completed the transit.

Find out what's happening in Eagle Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Where to Watch:

Fiji Hill on the campus is your best neighborhood bet. From there, you not only get a clear view of the skies against the eastern hills but you also get a 360-degree view unlike any other of the moon-washed city and its environs.

The Griffith Observatory is of course another fine vantage point—and it's devoting an entire day to the celestial highlight. The grounds will open from noon until 10 p.m. and lawn telescopes will be available for viewing. Also on hand will be the Observatory's coelostat, a device consisting of a flat mirror that is turned slowly by a motor to reflect the sun continuously into a fixed telescope. Interpreters will be available to explain details of what you'll be seeing.

How to Watch:

Never look directly at the sun with your naked eyes. You can damage your eyes. Likewise, viewing the sun with either binoculars or a telescope can direct the sun's magnified rays directly into your eyeball and cause serious injury―think about what happens to ants under a magnifying glass.

Sunglasses do not provide sufficient protection. If you know someone who works in plumbing or construction, ask them if they have any #14 welder's glass. You can look directly at the sun through this material without risking injury.

If you have a tripod or a partner and a pair of steady hands, you can use binoculars to project an image of the Sun onto a white piece of paper. Remember, don't look through your binoculars at the sun!

Watch Online:

Finally, you can monitor Don Pettit, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, who will become the first person to ever photograph a transit of Venus from outer space


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Eagle Rock