Venus Astronomy enthusiasts will be able to spot Venus this week in an astronomical phenomenon about to take place after 12 years. On June 30 the moon will come directly between the earth and Venus and the planet will be able to be seen about 30 seconds before it disappears completely behind the moon and then again 30 seconds after it reappears again.
The event will be seen first in Kandla in Gujarat at about 1.03 pm. In Pune, Venus will disappear behind the moon at 1.20 pm and reappear at 2.55 pm.
"Venus will be able to be seen in broad daylight if the sky is clear," said Arvind Paranjpye, scientific officer, public outreach programme at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics ( IUCAA). "Rarely do people get to see the planet as they do not know where to look for it. But, with reference to the moon, it can be spotted without much difficulty," he said.
A similar event took place in 1998. In the afternoon of April 23, the moon covered Venus and Jupiter. This event was widely observed across the country. Most people reported seeing Venus in the day and there were others who reported spotting Jupiter too.
However, Paranjpye cautions citizens to be careful when looking at the sky. "The sun will be just about 12 degrees east of the moon and one must take extra care while pointing binoculars towards the sky. Looking at the sun directly can cause permanent and irreversible damage to the eyes," he said.