Today, Tuesday June 5, 2012, the planet Venus— the planet in our solar system that is closest to the shape and size of Earth —will leisurely pass squarely between the Earth and sun.
The Transit of Venus, as it is called, is a once (or maybe twice) in a lifetime event. If at all possible, make an effort to see it today, because you won’t have another chance… at least until the year 2117.
While it will not be visible everywhere in the world (see map), it will be visible for all of North America, Asia, Australia, and eastern Europe. (The latter, towards sunrise on June 6.) The transit begins at 22:09 UTC, peaks at 01:29 UTC, and ends at 04:49 UTC. Here in the PDT time zone, that’s 3 PM, peaking at 6:30 PM, and finishing below the horizon. (More at the LA Times.)
Now, how to actually view it?
If you were clever, you might have stashed away an eclipse-viewing filter from the recent solar eclipse. If not, another option— one that is cheap and easy to find at hardware stores —is a set of welding glasses with a #14 filter. (That’s black glass. Sadly, those dark green goggles that you found in the shed are likely not safe for direct solar viewing.)
But, as the Ontario Science Center warns you,
Be careful: there are many materials that may seem to block out the Sun’s rays, but which are not safe to use for solar viewing. DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH sunglasses, photographic neutral density filters, polarizing filters, photographic film, dark plastic such as garbage bags, or smoked glass.
The other approach to consider is indirect viewing. You can build a pinhole projector, or a simpler yet version. You can also use a telescope set of binoculars to focus sunlight onto a surface for indirect viewing. (Using binoculars or a telescope for direct viewing requires a carefully chosen solar filter, to be safe.)
If all else fails— maybe you’re in cloudy Portland —NASA has got you covered. Head right over here for a “live” feed of solar pictures from the SDO spacecraft in orbit around the Earth, and updating every 15 minutes.
Update: A nice summary of the historical background of viewing transits of Venus is here.
You can also look and see if there is an Astronomy Club in your area. Most will have some type of observing party open to the public, and will have safe ways of observing. Also check with local science museums.