Sidereal time measures the rotation of our planet relative to the stars. It allows astronomers to keep time without worrying about the motion of Earth around the sun.
The Venus transit appeared as a small dark dot crossing sun's face for last time this century on June 5-6, 2012. Last transit of Venus in our lifetimes!
Mars will not look as big as the moon on August 27, 2011. But, in August 2011, you can see Mars as respectably bright ruddy star, in the eastern predawn sky
As Mercury reemerges as a morning object in May 2011, the solar system’s innermost planet will join up with the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mars in the eastern sky at dawn.