Venus journeys across the Sun today, next time in 2117

5 June, 2012 Cape Canaveral: It's a spectacle that won't repeat for another century - the sight of Venus slowly inching across the face of the sun.

The silhouette of Venus will march across the face of the sun on Tuesday from the Western Hemisphere (Wednesday from the Eastern Hemisphere). Known as a transit of Venus, this won't happen again until 2117.

Venus will appear as a small black dot gliding across the disk of the sun. As in a solar eclipse, do not stare directly at the sun; wear special protective glasses.
The entire transit, lasting 6 hours and 40 minutes, will be visible from the western Pacific, eastern Asia and eastern Australia.