Solar Transit of Venus -- June 5, 2012

[Beltway]

http://www.transitofvenus.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus,_2012
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/transit12.html

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/Transit-of-Venus-February-2012-134332798.html

"June's celestial spectacle, called a transit of Venus, happens only four times every 243 years. However, the spacing between each occurrence is very uneven: it's 121½ years, then 8 years, then 105½ years, then 8 years again. The last transit occurred in June 2004 – and after this June's event there won't be another until December 2117."

                           Ingress begins  Ingress complete
USA Eastern Timezone    6:04 pm           6:21 pm


I watched the 2004 transit at the Virginia Science Museum, with a group of amatuer astronomers.  They had lots of interesting equipment.

[agentsteel53]

http://www.transitofvenus.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus,_2012
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/transit12.html

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/Transit-of-Venus-February-2012-134332798.html

"June's celestial spectacle, called a transit of Venus, happens only four times every 243 years. However, the spacing between each occurrence is very uneven: it's 121½ years, then 8 years, then 105½ years, then 8 years again. The last transit occurred in June 2004 – and after this June's event there won't be another until December 2117."

                           Ingress begins  Ingress complete
USA Eastern Timezone    6:04 pm           6:21 pm


I watched the 2004 transit at the Virginia Science Museum, with a group of amatuer astronomers.  They had lots of interesting equipment.

excellent!  another use for the eclipse glasses I so wisely invested in!

[mgk920]

http://www.transitofvenus.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus,_2012
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/transit12.html

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/Transit-of-Venus-February-2012-134332798.html

"June's celestial spectacle, called a transit of Venus, happens only four times every 243 years. However, the spacing between each occurrence is very uneven: it's 121½ years, then 8 years, then 105½ years, then 8 years again. The last transit occurred in June 2004 – and after this June's event there won't be another until December 2117."

                           Ingress begins  Ingress complete
USA Eastern Timezone    6:04 pm           6:21 pm


I watched the 2004 transit at the Virginia Science Museum, with a group of amatuer astronomers.  They had lots of interesting equipment.

excellent!  another use for the eclipse glasses I so wisely invested in!

Except - that Venus is extremely tiny compared to the disk of the Sun.  IMHO, without some really fancy and expensive equipment, the best way to observe it would be to, by using a very small mirror, project an image of the Sun with Venus in transit onto a darkened wall or to use a 'camera obscura'.

Mike

[agentsteel53]

Except - that Venus is extremely tiny compared to the disk of the Sun.  IMHO, without some really fancy and expensive equipment, the best way to observe it would be to, by using a very small mirror, project an image of the Sun with Venus in transit onto a darkened wall or to use a 'camera obscura'.

Mike

I was clearly seeing sunspots during the eclipse, so I am confident in my ability to spot Venus.

[Beltway]

Except - that Venus is extremely tiny compared to the disk of the Sun.  IMHO, without some really fancy and expensive equipment, the best way to observe it would be to, by using a very small mirror, project an image of the Sun with Venus in transit onto a darkened wall or to use a 'camera obscura'.

Mike

Actually, this is when Venus is closest to Earth, and the disk of Venus is clearly resolvable by the unaided human eye.

You don't need magnification, as I can attest in the 2004 transit.  Black dot clearly seen.

Be sure to use welder's glass or something similar that blocks about 95% of the light.

[agentsteel53]

Be sure to use welder's glass or something similar that blocks about 95% of the light.

95% may be insufficient.  the glasses I use block out all but one part in 10000, as well as all but one part per million of infrared and ultraviolet.

they're easily found on eBay.  I bought five of them for about $11 shipped.

for photography use, I use 12 stops of darkening filter, then set 1/4000s (shortest shutter speed I have), ISO-100, f/11 or f/13, and I get some very nice sunspot images.

[Beltway]

Be sure to use welder's glass or something similar that blocks about 95% of the light.

95% may be insufficient.  the glasses I use block out all but one part in 10000, as well as all but one part per million of infrared and ultraviolet.

they're easily found on eBay.  I bought five of them for about $11 shipped.

for photography use, I use 12 stops of darkening filter, then set 1/4000s (shortest shutter speed I have), ISO-100, f/11 or f/13, and I get some very nice sunspot images.

The only time I looked at it directly was when the sun was a very pale disk behind a cloud layer.

The other times were when projected from telescope onto projection screen, and onto TV screen.  That is safe.

Venus makes a MUCH larger dot on the sun than does Mercury.  Mercury is smaller and farther away.  Mercury dot is about the size of a typical sunspot.

You can see the relative size on a couple of the links that I posted.

[formulanone]

It's kind of amazing the fellow who discovered and predicted this phenomenon was roughly 20 years old when he proved this...and I'm crossing my fingers for nice clear  weather when this occurs!

[kkt]

Driving from home in Seattle to Yellowknife, to see the entire transit and have a decent shot at clear skies!

[agentsteel53]

Driving from home in Seattle to Yellowknife, to see the entire transit and have a decent shot at clear skies!

that sounds like a fun trip!  hopefully you catch some northern lights in the approximately 2 hours of full darkness that may happen up there.

[kkt]

Driving from home in Seattle to Yellowknife, to see the entire transit and have a decent shot at clear skies!

that sounds like a fun trip!  hopefully you catch some northern lights in the approximately 2 hours of full darkness that may happen up there.

That would be a nice bonus, but I'm not really expecting it.  Wrong time of year, from what I'm told.  But the waterfalls should be full and we'll get to see the Mackenzie River Bridge being built, and I've never been to Canadian Shield country.