Once in a lifetime! After 111 yrs, the Venus kiss

Come June 2004 and the goddess of love and beauty will have a date with our planet! Yes, if the planet Mercury had a close encounter with Earth this year, Venus will be in close proximity with our planet on June 8, 2004.
Venus, as it moves in transit across the sun, will be visible from the Earth. The last occasion when this phenomenon occurred was on June 6, 1892 — in other words 111 years have elapsed since then.
"The last planetary transit witnessed was that of Mercury recently. Now it''s the turn of Venus, that we will witness in coming June," confirmed Debiprasad Duari, senior scientist, Birla Planetorium.
"Nobody alive has seen Venus and Earth in such close proximity. It will be a spectacular show, with Asia and Africa getting the best view of the transit, with Venus being visible for more than six hours," said Nehru Planetarium director, N Ratnashree.
Of course, what makes this phenomenon all the more special is the proximity of Venus to Earth. "Venus'' transit can be observed with minimal instrumentation. All that one needs is a protective filter such as eclipse goggles to save the eye from UV radiation," said a senior official of Birla Planetorium.
As for what to expect, the transit will be visible in India as a black dot moving on the sun between 10:40 am and 5 pm on June 8, 2004.
"No natural disturbances are expected to mar the view as it will be the peak of summer at that time," said Himadri Chakrabarty, a scientist.
However, those who miss out on next year''s celestial configuration can look forward to repeat acts in 2012 and 2124. Since India might not be at a vantage point for a view to thrill, it''s best to book a date with June 8, 2004. After all, there''s an out-of-the- world feeling to be experienced!