Venus Transit - June 5 - 6, 2012

[Alpha]

Rare Alignment




A transit of Venus occurs when Venus passes directly between the sun and earth. This alignment is rare, coming in pairs that are eight years apart but separated by over a century. The last transit of Venus was a thrilling sight in 2004. After June 2012, the next event occurs in 2117.
From the FAQ "Why is a transit of Venus so rare?":

Transits of Venus have a strange pattern of frequency. A transit will not have happened for about 121 ½ years (prior to 2004, the last one was 1882). Then there will be one transit (such as the one in 2004) followed by another transit of Venus eight years later (in the year 2012). Then there will be a span of about 105 ½ years before the next pair of transits occur, again separated by eight years. Then the pattern repeats (121 ½ , 8, 105 ½ , 8).

Transit of Venus pairs since the invention of the telescope:

• 1631 (not witnessed) & 1639
• 1761 & 1769
• 1874 & 1882
• 2004 & 2012

If Venus and the earth orbited the sun in the same plane as the sun, transits would happen frequently. However, the orbit of Venus is inclined to the orbit of earth, so when Venus passes between the sun and the earth every 1.6 years, Venus usually is a little bit above or a little bit below the sun, invisible in the sun’s glare.

A similar thing happens with our moon. Every month the moon passes between the sun and the earth, yet we do not see a solar eclipse every month. That’s because the moon’s orbit is also slightly inclined to earth’s orbit, so the new moon is usually a little above or a little below the sun. The transit of Venus is essentially an annular eclipse of the sun by Venus.

See the paper plate activity at http://transitofvenus.nl/wp/2012/02/...a-paper-plate/ for a model that shows the transit frequency visually.

4-Minute Summary




Where to Be (and When)



(Click map for PDF version.)

Much of the world can witness the 2012 transit of Venus. The date depends on what side of the International Dateline you will be observing. Observers in North America will see the transit in the evening on June 5, 2012, through sunset, so you want to have a clear western horizon.

More here

Venus Transits The Sun June 4-6, 2012




The June 2012 Venus Transit by Dr Chet Snow




The Venus Transit of 2012 as looked at through the eyes of the Mayan and other ancient civilizations.

[maryals]

This is so cool! Everything happens in patterns and cycles!

Mary and Baby

[Dera]

From Discovery News
Wed May 30, 2012

Ready for the Last Venus Transit Until 2117?

Astronomer Mark Thompson gives some quick advice on how and where you can see next week's historic Venus transit.


THE GIST

• The transit will occur on the evening of June 5 for the Americas; the morning of June 6 for Europe, Africa and western Australia.
• Barring any huge advances in medical science, this will be the last Venus transit anyone alive today will witness.

enlarge

The 2004 Venus transit as seen by the Solar and Helospheric Observatory (SOHO). Click to enlarge this image.
SOHO/EIT/ESA/NASA



It last happened in our skies in 2004 and happens again this year on June 6. If you miss it, you'll have to wait until 2117 for the next chance to see the elusive 'transit of Venus.'

This astronomical event was first recorded in December 1639 by English astronomer Jeremiah Horrocks and subsequently by other astronomers who used it to change our view of the Universe.

The transits occur when the sun, Earth and Venus all line up and, from our vantage point, we see Venus as a tiny black spot slowly moving across the fiery bright solar disk.

PHOTOS: 2012 Annular Solar Eclipse Photos From Our Readers

Venus races across the sun in a repeating pattern with pairs of transits 8 years apart with the following pair appearing 121.5 years later and the subsequent ones after a further 105.5 years. Needless to say, barring any huge advances in medical science, it's highly unlikely that anyone alive today will get a chance to see the next transit.

Following the first observed transit in 1639, the pair of transits that occurred in 1761 and 1769 received much more attention and even encouraged Captain James Cook to plan expeditions across the world to study them.

These observations, and those of subsequent transits, allowed calculations to be made of the distance between the Earth and sun that were impressively close to today's precise figure. The Venus transits set the foundations for
calculating the vast distances between other celestial bodies.


ANALYSIS: Hubble To Use the Moon To View Transit of Venus

The transit is visible on the evening of June 5 from the Americas and in the morning of June 6 for parts of Europe, Africa and western Australia. A map of its visibility can be found on the NASA Venus transit website.

Of course, the usual words of caution need to be said when it comes to observing the sun: don't look directly at it. It's possible to safely view the transit by projecting an image of it through binoculars or a telescope onto white card, or use special eclipse glasses. For more on observing the sun safely, follow my solar observing guide: "Observing Our Nearest Star, Safely."

http://news.discovery.com/space/venu...#mkcpgn=emnws1

[Alpha]

Just a reminder of this rare celestial event.

I wish I had the right glasses...anyone know where to get any?...probably too late now