Transit of Venus

Tuesday, June 5
2:30-8:30 p.m.

Come and observe the Transit of Venus at the Lawrence Hall of Science! This is a rare astronomical event–it’s when Venus passes directly between Earth and the sun. Although the last transit of Venus was in 2004, it happened in the middle of the night for the West Coast, so it was impossible to observe directly without traveling. This time, the transit is visible from Berkeley, starting at 3:06 p.m. PT until sunset.

Past transits of Venus helped astronomers determine the size of our Solar System, and explorers literally risked their lives and fortunes to observe one. Today, observing is not a risky venture, but it should be no less exciting. The Hall will have several solar telescopes for viewing the eclipse safely on the main plaza of the Lawrence Hall of Science. Try out new solar activity kits developed by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific who will be available to answer many of your transit questions. We’ll also be running special programming inside our Planetarium throughout the evening. Learn why transits are so rare, how they helped define the size of our Solar System, and how they’re helping astronomers find other “Earths” around other stars! Note: indoor admission after 5:00 p.m. is $5 ($4 for members).

Don’t miss this astronomical event—even though the last one was only eight years ago, the next one will not be until 2117. It will be your last chance to see it for over 100 years, so bring the whole family!

Get ready for the actual astronomical event by going to the Planetarium program, Transit of Venus. Learn how Venus' transit has helped astronomers discover the size of the Solar System.

Find out more about the Transit of Venus by visiting TransitofVenus.org.

Make sure to get your pair of free transit viewing glasses while supplies last, courtesy of ScholarShare.