Free telescope viewing of the transit of Venus the afternoon of Tuesday, June 5, will be available at Fresno State’s Downing Planetarium (southeast of the Barstow and Maple avenues intersection) on campus.

The viewing is planned 3-7 p.m. with planetarium shows at 2 and 4 p.m. Additional activities are planned around this rare celestial event, during which Venus is silhouetted against the sun.

Viewers must protect their eyes as they would when observing a solar eclipse. Protective eyewear will be sold for $2 at the planetarium gift shop while supplies last.

Venus’ small shadow will movee across the sun beginning around 3 p.m. Fresno time. The silhouette of the planet will track across the sun’s bright face from the upper left diagonally to exit from the right side of the sun as viewed from earth.

The transit is expected to take about 6 hours and 40 minutes.

A transit of Venus won’t happen again until 2117.

For more information and to reserve tickets ($2.50-$5) for the two shows, call 559.278.4071.