Article updated: 6/5/2012 11:40 AM

Wheaton College, other suburban observatories focus on Transit of Venus

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The Wheaton College Astronomical Observatory is opening at 4:30 p.m. today to provide free viewings of the Transit of Venus.

Courtesy of Wheaton College

A.J. Poelarends

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From our vantage point on Earth, it may look like merely a tiny black dot crossing the surface of the sun. But in reality, the Transit of Venus that begins about 5:03 p.m. Tuesday, is an extremely rare event that has occurred just a handful of times since it was discovered in 1639 and won't occur again until 2117. The black dot is the planet Venus, passing between Earth and the front of the fiery sun.

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