Venus Passes in Front of The Sun on Tuesday

Next Tuesday, June 5, the planet Venus will pass in front of the sun, before sunset, and be visible for most of the United States.

The event was last visible eight years ago, but will not be so for another 105 years.

Venus travels in a pattern that makes it pass in front of the sun, from Earth's point of view in that pattern.

On the first of the two passes, it is visible to the southern hemisphere around Australia.

During the second of the set it is visible to North America.

The pattern is always the same, with the 105 years passing, then eight.

Johannes Kepler first predicted the first part of the pattern. Jeremiah Horrocks, an English astronomer found the second part.