Caution

However, if you’re thinking of watching the transit, you must be extremely careful and make sure you don’t look directly at the sun as this can cause permanent damage to your eyes.

More information on viewing Venus can be found by linking to the Royal Observatory’s website from the link to the right of this page.

What will I be able to see?

Venus will appear as a black disc against the bright surface of the Sun. Viewed from London, it will start to move across the face of the Sun a few seconds before 06.20.

Will it go dark?

No, unlike a solar eclipse it will not go dark because Venus - which has an iron nickel core - will appear very small as it moves slowly in front of the sun.

How should I view the transit?

The phenomenon is known as the transit of Venus

It should be viewed by the image through
binoculars or a telescope onto paper, or by watching it on
television or the Internet.

Anyone looking at it directly must wear proper filters. To look
at the Sun without protection can cause blindness.

How common is a transit?

Very rare indeed, only six transits have ever been recorded: in 1631, 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874 and 1882.

The next will be in 2012, but the one after that won’t happen until 2117.

Will bad weather spoil things?

Weather at the Met Office say that the weather looks set to
give most watchers a reasonable chance of seeing the dark speck move across the Sun’s disc.

It should be possible to see the transit anywhere in the United Kingdom, but parts of the world where it is night time won’t be able to see the transit.

If you miss this one, scientists say you’ll have to go to the United States for the next transit of Venus in 2012.

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