Venus as it passes across the face of the Sun on June 8

similar to a solar eclipse, but instead of the Moon being in-line between the Earth and the Sun, it will be the planet Venus. The second planet looks much smaller from Earth so viewers would have to be specifically observing the Sun to see the small disc of Venus passing by. The planet will cross the Sun between approximately 6am and midday - the last time the event occurred was 1882.

under no circumstances should viewers look at this event directly – the risks to sight from looking at the Sun are "very real" and could lead to "irreversible damage" to eyesight and even blindness. The safest way to view the event is on the television or live webcasts on the internet.

Using a small telescope to project the event onto a screen is safe,
but observation directly through a telescope, binoculars or camera is not safe,
even just to line up the projection.

In addition sunglasses, and photographic film are totally inadequate and should not be used to view the transit under any circumstances

damage to the back of the eye can happen in an instant and once it occurs, there is no treatment

Rome, Italy, Jun. 4 (UPI) -- Thousands filled Rome's streets Friday to protest President Bush's visit and their own country's involvement in the Iraq war, CNN reported.

Police deployed some 10,000 officers around Rome as an estimated 500,000 protested Bush's arrival and Italy's active support of the U.S. war in Iraq.

Protests, which were largely peaceful, reached a peak shortly after Bush had an audience with Pope John Paul II in Vatican City. During that meeting Bush gave the pontiff the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. honor given to civilians.

On the first stop of his 36-hour European tour, Bush also met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a supporter of the Iraq war.

The prime minister has committed troops to the conflict despite the opposition of a majority of Italians. Twenty Italian soldiers and four civilians have been killed in the war.

On Saturday, Bush travels to Paris to meet French President Jacques Chirac, another war opponent, before heading to Normandy on Sunday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.