The Venus Transit Will Be The Most Spectacular Thing You Probably Won’t See Today

Today (June 5th) marks a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event as the planet Venus transits across the face of the sun in perfect alignment for viewing on Earth. It hasn't been seen here since 1882, and won't occur again until 2117.

It's one of the rarest predictable astronomical events, and will likely be obscured as storms move through the area.

The transit will begin at 4:06 pm and will be over at 9:12 that evening as the sun sets. The Herrett Center expects to have plenty of disposable solar filtered eyeglasses for sale to allow people to watch the rare phenomenon. The observatory will also be open with specially-equipped telescopes that will allow visitors to look at the sun while Venus passes across its face, free of charge.

However, the weather forecast calls for a 50% chance of rain and thunderstoms in the afternoon, with west winds up to 24 miles per hour. Daytime highs aren't expected to rise above 54 degrees, and overnight lows are expected to fall to near freezing.

Doesn't sound like the best day to watch The Venus Transit. Still, the clouds may part and conditions could be perfect at 4:06 pm.