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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
As Astronomy North concludes its winter activities, James Pugsley, the organization's president, is getting excited about a rare astronomical event that he says may put Yellowknife in the spotlight.

Because of our high latitude and clear sky conditions, Yellowknife will be among the best places on Earth to view the planet Venus as it passes in front of the sun early this summer, an event that won't happen again until Dec. 11, 2117.

"The Northwest Territories is well-positioned to observe the full event. And it means that communities in the Western Arctic, both in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, will have the opportunity to view the full transit of Venus just before sundown on June 5," Pugsley said.

"That doesn't mean that the people in the Eastern Arctic, or other places around the world, won't get to view this particular event, it's just that the Western Arctic will get to see the full event," Pugsley said.

The transit of the inner planets in front of the sun is similar to a solar eclipse, which is caused by the transit of the moon between the Earth and the sun.

When Venus makes its transit, it will appear as a small dot moving across the sun, which can be witnessed by using a solar telescope that filters out most of the light of the sun, such as the device used by Pugsley and Astronomy North.

The event can also be witnessed through pinhole lenses, which are commonly used for viewing solar eclipses. Skywatchers can purchase filters for their telescopes to view the sun, as well.

"It tells us that, much like when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, when the other planet passes between the Earth and the sun, we can learn both about the orbit of that planet and its relationship to the sun and the Earth, and we also get a better understanding of our solar system as a whole," said Pugsley.

He said he expects there to be a spike in tourism around the event, with skywatchers from around the world coming to Yellowknife.

The transits of Venus typically come in pairs spaced about eight years apart, but not always. In 1396 Venus passed between the Earth and sun only once, and in 1404 there was no transit observed.

Pugsley said the reason for the events coming in pairs is poorly understood, and studying this transfer may help provide insight into the phenomenon.

The transit is expected to occur between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. on June 5.

Pugsley said he intends on observing the event, likely from Fort Smith, though details still have to be worked out. The last transit of Venus was in 2004.

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