A transit of Venus will take place on Tuesday, June 5. This will be the last time this rare event will occur until the year 2117.

A transit is the passage of a smaller body in front of a larger one. In this instance, the disk of Venus will pass across the Sun.

This is similar to when the Moon passes in front of the Sun on a solar eclipse. Unlike the Moon, which covers most of the Sun, Venus appears as a small dot crossing the face of the Sun.

In Baton Rouge, the event will begin between 5 - 5:15 p.m. The transit actually takes place over several hours, but in Baton Rouge viewers will only see the first hours because the sun will set.

Theoretically, the event will be visible until sundown, which on June 5 in Baton Rouge, will be between 8 - 8:05 p.m. However, due to the atmosphere and obstructions of the horizon, practical viewing for most Baton Rougeans will probably end by 7:30 p.m.

Baton Rouge Astronomical Society volunteers will assist with public viewing at the Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road, and at the Burbank Soccer Complex, 12400 Burbank Drive. There will be at least three telescopes in operation at each location. These viewing locations will be free and open to the public.

The observatory will open at 4 p.m. and stay open until 9:30 p.m.

As with standard solar viewing, extreme precaution should be taken when attempting direct viewing of a transit. One should not attempt direct viewing of the Sun—ever—unless one is absolutely sure all safety guidelines are followed. Indirect viewing of the Sun, as with a home-made projection device, should also be considered.

HRPO is brought to the public by BREC, LSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society.

For more information, please contact the Highland Road Park Observatory at (225) 768-9948 or visit observatory@brec.org.

The Baton Rouge Astronomical Society was founded in 1981 and is a 501(c)(3) organization with membership open to the public.