The much anticipated Venus transit will happen Tuesday evening.

The Venus transit is a rare astronomical event that occurs when the planet Venus passes in front of the face of the sun. The transit will be visible in the ArkLaTex beginning at about 5 p.m.

The last Venus transit happened in 2004, and this year’s transit will be the last one in our lifetimes. The next one will happen in 2117.

The transit is so rare because when Venus swings between the sun and Earth, it usually doesn’t travel directly in front of the sun. Typically, Venus swings just above or below the face of the sun as viewed from Earth.

This time, Venus will appear as a small dark circle on the sun’s surface for about seven hours. The transit will be visible in the ArkLaTex from about 5 p.m. through just before sunset.

A viewing party at the Worley Observatory just south of Shreveport will start at 5 p.m. and will continue through 7 p.m.

KTBS Chief Meteorologist Joe Haynes will bring us live coverage of the transit from the viewing party on KTBS 3 News at 5 and 6.

If you can’t make it out to the viewing party, you can catch a live video stream from NASA.

While the Venus transit will certainly be a sight to see, you should not look directly at the sun unless you have proper eye protection.  Remember to take these precautions before you head outside to view the rare event.