OCC offers safe views of transit of Venus

The transit of Venus is a rare event indeed.

Though the occurrence — when the planet makes a visible pass between the Sun and Earth — last happened in 2004, it won’t happen again until 2117.

Orange Coast College’s Astronomy Club is giving the community a chance to safely watch the planetary event — which, historically, helped measure the size of the solar system — through solar telescopes between 2:30 and 8 p.m. June 5 near the campus Planetarium, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.

About a half dozen of the telescopes will be set up, with the best viewing times from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The club will be giving away books on cosmology, quantum mechanics and general science.

The event is free. Free parking will be available in Lots D and E on Merrimac Way.

— Britney Barnes

Twitter: @britneyjbarnes