The next transit of Venus will take place on June 5, 2012 and you won’t want to miss it. Why? Because this rare celestial event won’t happen again for another 105 years! Tahiti is one of the best places to witness the event, so start planning your trip.

What is it?

When Venus passes directly between the Earth and the sun, you can see a small, black dot gliding across the sun’s surface. What makes the transit so unique is its strange pattern of frequency. It only happens twice every 100+ years, and those two occurrences are spaced out by about eight years. So since a transit already took place in 2004, this will probably be the last chance to see it in your lifetime.

Why Tahiti?

The transit of Venus is visible from other parts of the world, but it’s best viewed from the Pacific Ocean. This means that Tahiti is geographically one of the better places to see it. But historically, it’s the only place you’ll want to be when it happens. Here’s why…

Tahiti’s Matavai Bay, known as Point Venus, is where Captain James Cook first witnessed the transit on June 3, 1769. He hoped this rare alignment would help him measure the size of the solar system – one of the great unsolved mysteries of that time. Here’s the original drawing that Captain Cook sketched to document what he saw.

Based on his written accounts, it seemed Cook was far more captivated by Tahiti than anything else. He discovered that the islands were just as rare and extraordinary as the celestial event he was there to witness. And now, you too can discover the same thing!

Want to Go?

We’ve put together a great vacation package specifically for the event including a transit viewing, free daily meals and complimentary activities. You’ll stay at Le Méridien Tahiti from June 3-8, 2012 and view the transit from Matavai Bay, just like Captain Cook did in 1769.

Book now! Spaces are filling up fast.