How to safely view the transit of Venus

CINCINNATI - If you haven’t heard already, a rare astronomical event begins tonight at 6:04 p.m.

The transit of Venus happens when Venus passes between the Earth and the sun which creates a spot on the sun.  This dark spot will slowly travel across the sun, lasting through sunset.

There are many places across the Tri-State to view the rare transit with solar scopes and solar viewers, including the Drake Planetarium and Science Center.

The public is also invited to stop by the Cincinnati Observatory. Leo Sack, Outreach Educator of the observatory, explained how to safely view the transit.

 “So to view the transit of Venus, you have to have a safe way of looking at the sun without hurting our eyes.  Now for us, we’re putting safe solar filters on a lot of our telescopes, but if you don’t have a telescope and a solar filter, you have other options,” said Sack.

Some of the options include No. 14 welder’s glass, which is a safe thing to hold up to your eyes. People should not use regular sunglasses or look directly at the sun.   

You can also use eclipse shades, which may be hard to find.  They're on sale at the Cincinnati Observatory, but they’re going fast.

A simple way to view the transit of Venus across the sun is to make a pinhole projector. 

Find instructions on how to make your own here:  http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/index.cfm?page=341

If there are too many clouds, or if you would rather be in the comfort of your own home, you can view the transit from a live feed from NASA here: http://venustransit.nasa.gov/transitofvenus/

Schools all over the Tri-State will have viewing stations set up to watch the rare event.

To get more tips on viewing the transit of Venus safely, NASA has compiled some tips here .

In addition to the public viewing at the Drake Planetarium and Science Center., Dr. Frank Drake, for whom the planetarium is named, will be making a rare visit to Cincinnati. Dr. Drake is the founder of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence).  More information on SETI can be found here: http://www.seti.org .

This fun-filled day of events at the planetarium will cost $10 per person or $35 for a family of four or more.  Reservations can be made by calling (513) 396-5578 or you can register and pay for your spot at the event at http://drakeplanetarium.org/

If you go to one of the listed Tri-State schools hosting a public viewing, it’s free.  If you’re heading to the Cincinnati Observatory, there’s a donation of $5… but its 'worth it… these are the experts.