Eclipses and Transits
The details of celestial mechanics in our own solar system are very predictable and, luckily, not dependent on NASA's budget cycle. The year 2012 will see one important and rare event with the transit of Venus on June 6. While information from the occurrence was once vital for astronomers looking to calculate the distance between the Earth and the sun, it is now merely a spectacular cosmic show for all to enjoy.
The moon will appear to partially consume the sun on May 20 during an annular solar eclipse. In this type of eclipse, the moon transits in front of the sun, partially blocking it but leaving a small ring of light around the edge. The event will be seen to viewers placed along a path over the Pacific Ocean from southern China to the Western United States.
A total solar eclipse – where the moon will completely block out the sun’s light – will occur on November 13, though will mostly occur over open ocean. The only place on land to see it will be parts of Northern Australia. Two partial lunar eclipses will also occur during the year, on June 4 and November 28, respectively.
Image: An annular eclipse seen from China in 2010. Wikimedia/A013231