Only six times before in recorded history has the planet Venus transited across the face of the Sun. On Wednesday morning from 6.45 am to 10.30 am, the astronomically inclined will get a chance to track a celestial movement that, if missed, is unlikely to be repeated in our lifetime.
The next time, tiny Venus makes a similar move, it will be 105 years from now in 2117. But with the monsoon already at Karnataka’s shores and the Indian Meteorological Department predicting clouds and precipitation, enthusiasts will have to pray skies remain clear. Both Indian Institute of Astrophysics’ Dr Ebenezer, Scientist, Radio Astronomy Group, IIA and the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium have made arrangements to telecast the transition live.
Caution! It cannot be viewed with the naked eye, X-ray films or glasses available on the roadside. Rays emanating during the transition permanently scar the retina, warned Dr Bhujang Shetty, chairman, Narayana Nethralaya.