Planets line up for a rare view of transit of Venus

A ONCE-in-a-lifetime moment will allow South Africans to see the transit of Venus across the face of the sun – for just a few minutes, says local academic Professor Kavilan Moodley.

The transit of Venus occurs when Venus passes directly between Earth and the sun.

This rare alignment has been used to measure the distance of the sun from Earth, and more recently to refine the methods astronomers use to discover planets in other solar systems.

The transit will be partially visible from Durban for a few minutes after sunrise on Wednesday.

“This spectacular astronomical event is an extremely rare event, with the next transit only occurring in 2117,” said Moodley, lecturer in the School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, and a researcher in the Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Unit at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

The Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Unit will be hosting a public evening event around the transit of Venus that will include a public lecture and a telescope viewing session.

Moodley warned residents to take precautions when viewing the transit. “It is extremely important that you take the necessary precautions, as the transit will happen with the planet moving across the sun’s surface.

“You need to use special eclipse glasses to view the transit. Do not use telescopes, binoculars or magnifying glasses to view the transit of Venus,” said Moodley.

You can visit the website: http://earthsky.org/space/view-may20-annular-eclipse-and-june-5-transitof-venus-safely to learn more about safe methods to view the transit. More information on transit times can be found on the website: http://transitofvenus.nl/wp/where-when/localtransit-times/

The public event around the transit of Venus will take place on Wednesday at 6pm at the Science and Technology Education Centre, Westville Campus, University of KwaZuluNatal. Call 071 875 1996 for details.