None of us will likely see Venus pass, like a moving beauty spot, across the face of the sun again. From the US to South Korea, people around the world turned their attention to the daytime sky Tuesday and early Wednesday in Asia to make sure they caught the rare sight of the transit of Venus. The next one won't be for another 105 years. “If you can see the mole on Cindy Crawford's face, you can see Venus,” Van Webster, a member of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, told anyone who stopped by his telescope for a peek on Mount Hollywood. For astronomers, the transit wasn't just a rare planetary spectacle. It was also one of those events they hoped would spark curiosity about the universe and our place in it. Sul Ah Chim, a South Korea researcher, said he hoped people see life from a larger perspective, and “not get caught up in their small, everyday problems.” “When you think about it from the context of the universe, 105 years is a very short period of time and the Earth is only a small, pale blue spot,” he said. Venus, which is extremely hot, is one of Earth's two neighbors and is so close in size to our planet that scientists at times call them near-twins. Most people don't tend to gaze at the sun for long periods of time because it's painful and people instinctively look away. But there's the temptation to stare at it during sky shows. The eye has a lens and if you stare at the sun, it concentrates sunlight on the retina and can burn a hole through it. It's similar to when you hold a magnifying glass under the blazing sun and light a piece of paper on fire. It can take several hours for people to notice problems with their eyes but, by that time, the damage is done and, in some cases, it is irreversible.
