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Watch planet Venus cross the Sun, as it’s today or 2117
ISLAMABAD: Another once-in-a-lifetime kind of transit of planet Venus (a planet crossing the face of Sun) has started this morning (Wednesday June 6).The rare transit started at O3:00 AM and would last till 09:49 AM.
This stellar treat could be relished in Pakistan from the time of sunrise till 9:50 am (PST), an official of the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) told media.
In expert words today's historic Venus transit is a marathon event lasting nearly seven hours, but skywatchers who don't have that kind of time can break it down into a handful of key milestones.
Venus treks across the Sun's face from Earth's perspective today (June 5; June 6 in much of the Eastern Hemisphere), marking the last such Venus transit until 2117. Few people alive today will be around to see the next transit, which makes the rare celestial sight a premier event in the astronomical and skywatching communities.
Astronomers as well as people at large around the world are looking up on the skies to watch Venus pass in front of the Sun, as it will not be seen for another 105 years.
Eager skywatchers flocked to universities and observatories that scheduled viewings and astronomy talks for the public, some with sun-safe telescopes and others with large screens for viewing the transit.
The SUPARCO experts would also monitor the event. This would be the last event of the 21st century, as the next event of this kind would occur after 105 years, in December 2117.
The citizens have been cautioned by SUPARCO not to look at the
sun without wearing proper eye-shielding material as a solar filter
during the transit of Venus. Otherwise, such a practice could lead to blindness.
Courtesy www.geo.tv