There is celestial event tonight the transit of Venus. And are few places you can go to view -- one is the Williams fill space slam planetarium. And Williams -- North High School mark Perseus director. And is with us on the WB and -- morning mark good morning what is actually happening in the skies tonight. Well almost every two years -- passes by this time but it misses that there's a very rare event were actually passes right in front of the sun starting this evening just after 6 o'clock PM. So Venus will appear as a black dot on the face of the sun. Rather than the brightest thing in the night sky which is usually. We can't impress upon our listeners -- enough that you are not to look at the sun with the -- now. With that said mark if somebody wants to draw upon a camera store or science or hobby shop. What should they look for as as a viewing device. Well with without being able to order a proper solar filter for a particular telescope. I think viewers to be best trying to set up one of the projections activated. Our web site or there's a lot of good web search out there one premise transit of Venus dot org. Have information on how to set up seek ways to view the event from all of but we have three different observing sites set up around town to make the event as accessible as possible. Here at the planetarium -- Williams -- Also on the -- for the science museum and at depended seaside town of Hamburg. In addition to we understand it buffalo state college is planetary will be open as well. Well it does this event was particularly important in terms of scientific collaboration in the past. -- -- had predicted the events. About fifty years before the first time it was observed and -- connections are made between scientific communities around. The world acute timer and and observe the events in order to figure out the scale of the solar systems -- A whole bunch of different organizations around buffalo have been working together. To make sure that we follow their model and collaborate may do -- again as accessible as possible. Buffalo's speed astronomy club and their staff is going into the science museum to help them out because they have a good observing spot opened their -- Here at that they'll wait until planetary we've got community members students members of the Baltimore astronomical association. And there's actually planetarium it lacked a lot of high school. They've been working with the folks that run appendix C quarry. Which operates in astronomy program as well we've all involved in planning this for months. Right now we just need some clear whether. Now if you do have all the necessary. Items this filter. Binoculars telescopes whatever what would you actually see. Well what you'll see is a fairly notable black spot on the face of this. That it takes about six hours to pass across we unfortunately. Lose this on the body safety limits out so we get about just. Under half of the event. And with to make and I if you were to look through these clips classes without magnification that it it is -- safe way to look at the -- For limited periods of time they are still not sunglasses special. Filters that that block out most of the Lloyd and make it's based on the it may be too little too small if you don't ever really good guys side. That's why we're encouraging folks to seek out -- both sides but has a magnified view or they can be observed Safeway. So that you can actually see the does the planet noticeably. Not the sun is pretty massive so as you know being just too large berth. But compared beside the song -- -- Columbia. A small spot. And mark one other question for you what time. Will this start occurring here for for local watchers. All the observing sites are opening at 530 the first contact -- the very active Venus content inside -- -- it's 60 really. And then until when when which. It actually goes about six hours after that -- again we're gonna lose sight of it when the concept about beat fifty. Okay well it's really really interesting if you miss it. The next one is a hundred years from now right. The year 2170. And so the battery to good old. -- thought Marc enjoy tonight it's really sounds fascinating. I mark Percy he's director of the Williams -- space -- planetarium at Williams on North High School you can get a lot more information on this. Including those local viewing locations at WBN dot com.
