Posted on 10/16/2011 2:32:44 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: The rare transit of Venus across the face of the Sun in 2004 was one of the better-photographed events in sky history. Both scientific and artistic images flooded in from the areas that could see the transit: Europe and much of Asia, Africa, and North America. Scientifically, solar photographers confirmed that the black drop effect is really better related to the viewing clarity of the camera or telescope than the atmosphere of Venus. Artistically, images might be divided into several categories. One type captures the transit in front of a highly detailed Sun. Another category captures a double coincidence such as both Venus and an airplane simultaneously silhouetted, or Venus and the International Space Station in low Earth orbit. A third image type involves a fortuitous arrangement of interesting looking clouds, as shown by example in the above image taken from North Carolina, USA. The next transit of Venus across the Sun will be in 2012 June.
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[Credit & Copyright: David Cortner]
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David Rittenhouse (Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square named for him) among others, observed the 1769 transit, calculated distance from earth to sun @ 93 million miles, which has proven to be more accurate than any other calculation of the time. The platform built behind the State House in Philadelphia to observe the transit (not used by Rittenhouse ) was still standing in 1776 and was the stage from which the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence occurred.
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Thanks. The book “Transit of Venus” recounts that a similar observation site was selected in Africa, and artifacts from those observers are still there (or were, at the time the book was researched).
Gorgeous!!!!
Thanks for posting.
What a great picture to show the relative size of a planet to the Sun.
Beautiful!
:’) And the scale is misleading here, since Venus is much closer to the Earth. :’)
The Sun’s diameter is about 870,000 miles, Venus’ is about 7700 miles, approx .88% of the Sun’s.
June 5th 2012, what ever you do, make sure you get to see this. It’s the last time in our lifetime (unless they manage to get us another 100 years out of medicine).
Saw the one in 2004 as the Sun rose out of the see.
The 2012 I plan on being on top of the Contemporary Hotel at Disney World to watch the Sun set with Venus along with it.
(If that doesn’t work, I’ll find some place at WDW with a low horizon, or, get the boss to go over to St. Pete for the afternoon.)
Here is a YouTube on the subject, Earth's Atmosphere - Incredible Evidence of Design
The Moon’s, Mercury’s, and Mars’ atmospheres are also transparent, although you’d get a bit chilly stargazing from those. :’)
That is coming up, isn’t it. That was a fast eight years.
Thank you! I knew I should have phrased that sentence differently after I watched the video again. I am still learning how to discuss these things. I appreciate your gentle correction and patient instructions!
I do feel a little stupid for not having ordered the smoked glass in order to observe the transit in 2004, but maybe I will next year.
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