Your Venusian Crib Sheet

121.5 Number of years since Venus last crossed between Earth and the Sun, making it visible to the naked eye


8 Number of years until the next Venus transit


5 billion + Estimated number of people who will be able to see all or part of the 2004 transit. People in the western U.S., Hawaii and New Zealand are out of luck until 2012


23° N, 55° W Best view, just south of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates


Sun Filter Equipment necessary to view transit without eye damage


1761, 1769 Years in which astronomers used the transit of Venus to
measure Earth´s distance from the Sun


864 Surface temperature of Venus, in degrees Fahrenheit


266 Highest temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, that a lifeform
on Earth has been known to survive


6 Planned U.S. missions to Mars, 2004â€2011


1 Planned U.S. missions to Venus, 2004â€2011