Venus will pass in front of the sun tonight, in a rare spectacle that won't grace the night sky again for more than 100 years.
The planet's passage in front of the sun, known as the “transit of Venus,” begins after 6 p.m. EDT in the U.S., and will continue for 6 hours and 40 minutes.
WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE?
Venus should appear as a little black dot on the surface of the sun. It may not be as impressive a sight as a solar eclipse, but it is much rarer.
HOW CAN I WATCH IT SAFELY?
In order to watch the transit safely, stargazers must wear eclipse glasses or watch it through a telescope that filters the sunlight. Looking straight into the sun without these things can lead to permanent eye damage.
You can also watch the once-in-a-lifetime event online. NASA's website has a directory of live webcasts that will let you see how the entire transit appears in different locations across the globe.
WHEN CAN I WATCH IT?
If you're living in most areas of North and Central America, you'll probably have to catch the transit between 6:03 p.m. EDT or 3:06 p.m. PDT and sunset tonight, according to Space.com.
Those in Hawaii, Alaska, eastern Australia and eastern Asia will get to observe Venus' progress across the sun during the entire day.
In most of Europe, eastern Africa and western Asia, can catch the tail end of the transit after sunrise.
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