You are currently viewing the summary.
View Full TextLog in to view the full text
AAAS login provides access to Science for AAAS members, and access to other journals in the Science family to users who have purchased individual subscriptions.
More options
Download and print this article for your personal scholarly, research, and educational use.
Buy a single issue of Science for just $15 USD.
Summary
Early next month, skywatchers will get their second—and final—chance this century to observe a rare mini-eclipse in which Venus crosses in front of the sun. As seen from Earth on 5–6 June, the silhouette of Venus, as big as a large sunspot, will adorn the sun's orange disk with a fleeting beauty mark. Venus's passages, or transits, occur in pairs spaced 8 years apart every 105 or 122 years. The next transit isn't until 2117.
-
↵* Ron Cowen is based in Silver Spring, Maryland, and writes about physics, astronomy, and the history of technology.
