One of the rarest astronomical events occurs on Tuesday and Wednesday when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, a transit that won't occur again until 2117.
In a once-in-a-lifetime event, Venus is due to pass in front of the sun for 6 hours from around 6pm EDT.
The rare astronomical phenomenon occurs when the planet Venus passes between the sun and the Earth, appearing as a small black spot against the backdrop of the sun. The event will not occur again until 2117 and will last for 6 hours 40 minutes. Skywatchers and astronomers around the world will be watching with telescopes and equipment specifically modified to look directly at the sun.
"The Venus transit really brings home to us, in a unique way, how ordinary our sun is," said scientist and author Mark Anderson. "There's something very humbling out of this experience. We are another planet in orbit around another star in another galaxy in another corner of the universe. It really brings it home to us."
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