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An astronomical phenomenon called Transit of Venus will take place on June 6, wherein the planet Venus will appear as a small, dark disk moving across the Sun. The said occurrence was said to happen again after 105 years. The last passage was in 2004 while the other previously occurred in 1882. The next transit will be in 2117 and 2125.
According to a report, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA Space Sciences and Astronomy Section officer-in-charge Dario Dela Cruz stated that the Transit of Venus will be witnessed from 6:09 a.m. to 12:49 p.m. facing the eastern horizon on Wednesday.
PAGASA Administrator Dr. Nathaniel Servando apparently stated that planetary transits that can only be seen from Earth are Mercury and Venus.
“Since the planets Mercury and Venus orbit inside the path of the Earth around the sun, they too can come between the Earth and the Sun. However, since these planets have a tiny apparent diameter as seen from Earth, the transit is seen as a small black disk moving across the face of the sun,” Servado explained.
The United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA said the Philippines is one of the suitable places to witness the rare occurrence of the Transit of Venus. Aside from the Philippines, the entire transit can be seen in some countries such as Greenland, North and Central America, Pacific Island, Australasia, Asia, East Africa, and countries from Europe.
Planetary transits such as the Venus transit have been noteworthy in gaining the earliest studies of the size of the solar system, and it continue to be of significance to other ongoing astronomical explorations.
