The public viewing and celebration of the transit of Venus --the rare astronomical event in which planet Venus is seen crossing the face of the Sun-- was a tremendous hit at Edgewater Beach State Park in Cleveland the evening of June 5. Public interest in the transit was, to this observer, surprisingly high. Those who looked through solar-safe telescopes at our nearest star, by and large, excitedly marveled at what they saw. After all, how often do most folks get to see what the Sun really looks like? Obligatory reminder: Improperly viewing the Sun can result in instantaneous and permanent eye damage!

Observers on the North Coast are well-positioned to see the last transit of Venus in our lifetimes on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. A transit of Venus occurs when that planet crosses (transits) the face of the Sun as viewed from Earth.  The event is rare indeed, with the next transit taking place in the year 2117 -- and then not visible from Northeastern Ohio!

UPDATE: CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT WE SAW!

What would you do if you found a mysterious box, say, behind the shoes in your closet? Or under a layer of dust in the basement? Or dropped on your front porch?

Would you open it?

Would you open it knowing that whatever good—or bad—that came out of the box was your responsibility, because you opened it?