Should You Watch the Transit of Venus Tonight?

I hear a lot of people are planning to watch the transit of Venus on Tuesday (June 5), but it's extremely important that prospective viewers be warned to take special precautions (as with a solar eclipse) to view the silhouette of Venus against the brilliant disk of the sun.

For the United States and Canada the transit will begin when the dark disk of Venus first touches the outer edge of the sun, an event that astronomers call Contact I. From the Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canada, Contact I should occur around 6:03 p.m. EDT. From the Western U.S. and Western Canada, Contact I should occur around 3:06 p.m. PDT.

It will take about 18 minutes for the black disk of Venus to move completely onto the sun's face; ultimately bringing its black disk just inside the sun's upper left edge. If you imagine the sun's disk as the face of a clock, Contact I will occur between the 11:30 and 12 o'clock position. Venus will then progress along a track that will run diagonally from the upper left to the lower right.

Eye safety is always a prime concern when dealing with the sun. Observing a transit is a lot like studying sunspots because, after all, you are looking at a dark spot on the sun.

So, the safest way to view the transit is to construct a so-called pinhole camera. A pinhole, or small opening, is used to form an image of the sun on a screen that is placed about three feet behind the opening.

Binoculars or a small telescope mounted on a tripod can also be used to project a magnified image of the sun onto a white card. Just be sure not to look through the binoculars or telescope when they are pointed directly at the sun! Venus should appear as a distinct, albeit tiny dot on the projected image.

A variation of the pinhole theme is the "pinhole mirror." To make one, cover a pocket mirror with a piece of paper that has a quarter-inch hole punched in it.

Projecting the sun’s magnified image through binoculars, or better yet a telescope, on to a white card or screen is relatively safe and can be used for group viewing. For serious transit observing, a telescope with a full-aperture solar filter is much better.

You should never look at the sun directly through your telescope, even through your finder scope. It is strongly advisable to cover the finder before the transit, so as to avoid looking through it accidentally.

Julianne Hough Goes Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader for 'Rock of Ages'

Julianne Hough looked like a "Dallas Cowboys cheerleader" in her new movie attire because there was a lot of "white and fringe".

The stunning star appears as Sherrie Christian in musical movie Rock of Ages, alongside an ensemble cast including Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand.

Julianne's character works as a waitress who is an aspiring actress and she had to don a series of skimpy outfits for the role. She has joked her attire was reminiscent of a popular American football cheerleading troupe.

"My outfit was awesome. It was definitely a take on Steve Perry with his tails. So I had a little jacket and didn't wear pants. I just had a leotard on. It was really fun, though," she told Collider.com.

"There was a lot of fringe and stuff. [Choreographer] Mia Michaels said, 'You look like a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.' Because there is white and fringe. But it was really fun."

Julianne has revealed how she prepared for the big screen role. The blonde beauty trained hard to garner her enviable physique.

"I actually changed my diet and exercise routine a little bit. Because in the '80s the women were not twig thin. They looked like they were 18-years-old and they had curves. It was all real, you know? So I definitely beefed up some of my exercises and weights," she explained.

"Yes, I am going to be in a bra and underwear on a pole. I definitely had to focus on that."

Kindle Free Pick of the Week: Raichlen's Burgers

Plain old burgers? No such thing. With Raichlen's Burgers, the doors to burger mastery are flung wide open. There’s the all-American version (seasoned with little more than salt and pepper), but there’s also a New Mexican Green Chile Burger, an Herb Butter Burger, a Oaxacan-Spiced Turkey Burger, a veggie burger and a tuna burger. It’s 25 of the world’s best—featuring the Really Big Bosnian Burger!—from bestselling Barbecue! Bible author Steven Raichlen.

Miss Rhode Island Wins Miss USA

The Miss USA 2012 is Olivia Culpo. Last year's winner Alyssa Campanella handed the coveted crown to Miss Rhode Island. The runner up is Maryland's Nana Meriwether.

Fourth runner up is Miss George Jasmine Wilkins.

Third runner up is Nevada Jade Kelsall

Second runner up is Miss Ohio Audrey Bolte.

Queen's 1,000 Ship Armada Takes Over Thames

In the most public celebration of the four-day commemoration of the diamond jubilee of her reign, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, as part of a flotilla of 1,000 ships, sailed on a red and gold royal barge down the Thames watched by a million people who lined the banks or occupied more luxurious viewing positions.  Just imagine if the weather was good.

Members of the Royal Family were aboard.

British PM David Cameron and his spouse Samantha were at a viewing point on a naval craft, HMS President, anchored near their home. There was buzz that Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were lapping up the waters at a street party in Richmond. Actor Michael Caine and his wife Shakira organized a get-together at their flat in Chelsea.