Visually speaking, today's transit of Venus in front of the sun is fascinating! The path Venus has taken between the last transit (8 years ago) and this one forms a perfect pentagram. And because Venus is traveling backwards, or retrograde, the transit is also forming five heart-shapes. The hearts then form a five-petaled rose. Crazy.
Astronomy Explained Under Sir Isaac Newton's Principles, 1799
My friend Sarah (there's a lot of us born between 1975 and 1981 it seems, I have five friends named Sara/h Elizabeth!) has given me these instructions for today's event: make a deep wish, one to last for the next 117 years.
Thinking on that.
ed. note 9:46 pm: I got to see it! When I woke up this morning it was raining and howling and windy and grey, and I thought 'well, well, HOSED AGAIN, pacific northwest' (astronomical happenings often get clouded over in our special region).. but this afternoon the sun came out in a big way, and pal Matt (he recorded the first Western Hymn record!) set up his fancy telescopes in an alley behind a pizza joint in downtown Oly. He also made special sunglasses with solar filter thingies so we could stare right at the sun and see the little dot! 'Like a fertilized egg' said Michelle. Indeed.
