Venus Crosses Sun For Last Time In More Than A Century
The rare celestial event will be visible in Pittsburgh area from just after 6 p.m. until sunset.
"There's a little black spot on the sun today." The opening lyrics of “King of Pain” by Sting and the Police will come true today, although the little black spot is actually a planet. Pittsburgh-area residents, equipped with the proper safety equipment, will be able to see the planet Venus as it slowly moves across the face of the sun beginning just after 6 p.m. this evening, weather permitting. The phenomenon is known as a transit and it won’t happen again until 2117, which means it’s the last time nearly everyone alive today will get a chance to see it. Transits of Venus are so rare because the planet's orbit is tilted relative to the Earth's. The two planets line up with the sun only four times every 243 years. Safety is key in …
