Stellary Starry Universe

It won't happen again until December 2117: On June 5th, 2012, Venus will transit the face of the sun. The best places to watch are in the south Pacific, but travel is not required. The event is widely visible around the world, including at sunset from the USA.

This week, Venus and the Pleiades star cluster will meet in the sunset sky for a rare and beautiful conjunction.

On Dec. 26th, Venus and the crescent Moon will gather in the western sunset sky for a beautiful post-Christmas show.

A Japanese spacecraft named "Akatsuki" is approaching Venus on a mission that planetary scientists say could end up teaching us a great deal about our own planet Earth.

Something special is happening this weekend. Venus and the Moon are gathering for a sunset conjunction on Saturday and Sunday, May 15 and 16. On the same nights, the ISS is going to be flying over many US towns and cities.

And if Atlantis launches on schedule–wow! People could witness a very rare meeting of the shuttle, station, Venus and the Moon. Details and observing tips may be found in today’s story from Science@NASA.