Anybody else watching the planet cross in front of the sun? It looks like this:

Venus animation

It's just barely getting in to the sun's interior now, should be better in another two hours or so. Check it out (safely!), it's a once in a lifetime event.

MV

Clouds. I'll have to take your word for it.

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I like to watch the mound

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It's pretty much into the sun now. If not for the forewarning, I'd have never known. You can't see it with the naked eye. Not like the eclipse a few weeks ago.

For those of you who have clouds to deal with, you can watch the animation on the link I posted. For greater realism, you can turn it into a presentation and then stare directly into the projector!

MV

Cloudy here as well.

But... there is live action with some pretty good images...
Venus makes last-in-a-lifetime transit across the sun - Cosmic Log

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https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

I read a few remarks on the web saying that you could see it with the naked eye but I'm having no luck. Well, naked as in no magnification but I do have a #10 and a #5 welder's lens sandwich, taped on the edges. The best info I can com up with is that the sum minus one gives you the protection number.

I put 2 eights together for one of my clients, two of the 4x5 inch or so size. The sun is plainly visible through them, no discomfort. He's 40 miles away, has some small binnoculars and a telescope but says he's afraid to use them. Best I can find is that when placed between the sun and the scope, the #14 filter is safe. Between scope and eye is not safe, of course.

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We've been using either one or two pairs of sunglasses behind a welder's mask. Not sure what number on the mask, but we can plainly see the small dot of Venus. Check the animation to see where to look.

MV

I think I see it but it's faint.

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I was watching it but I can't see anything now, all I see is this big friggin' bright dot.

I projected it with a telescope onto a white piece of paper. I forgot about my welding mask until it was too late, but I doubt that would have been safe as a welding mask filters LESS light than a solar filter!

I took a quick pick with my phone projecting it but it didn't turn out too well. I'll see if I can upload it. The Sun just went behind the trees at my place.

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Hard to see with the naked eye. Easier with binoculars behind a welding helmet with sunglasses.

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I was able to see it w/o magnification later in the day, around 6 or 7. I could only see it when I looked slightly to one side of where I knew it was supposed to be. I sometimes run across stars like that. When you look straight at them, can't see them, but just slightly peripheral and there it is. Not sure if this some early version of macular degeneration.

All the sites say #14 welders lens or better. None of the shops had any left in stock after the recent eclipse, but two lens work adding the numbers together, although there is some controversy about it. My welder's helmet had a #10, my oxy-acetylene goggles had a #5 so I was in business.

Perhaps a welding helmet with sunglasses is safe, not sure but the penalty for error is possibly severe.

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