Astronomical PSA. Transit of Venus

[Mikilt]

This coming Tuesday, 8 June 2012, the planet Venus will pass between the Earth and the Sun. It will appear as a little black dot moving horizontally across the lower portion of the sun for those in the northern hemisphere and moving horizontally across the top portion of the sun for those in the southern hemisphere.

For most of Europe and the UK the transit of Venus begins at sunrise. For North and Central America, it starts just before sunset. CDNSushi, Downunder Kilt and AKScott, you should be able to see the whole thing from your respective locations.

I know we are all adults here, but I must stress, DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN! Use a solar view if you have one, or a welder's mask. If you can build an eclipse viewer with a large and crisp image, you should be able to discern a small shadow on the sun. Instructions are readily available on the internet.

Enjoy!

[chrisupyonder]

There is a live webcam here...

http://venustransit.nasa.gov/transitofvenus/

Chris.

[xman]

And here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=t79iec2b-3M

[bigdad1]

Thanks Chris. That's cool!

[Alan H]

I got out to see it twice. In the late afternoon I went outside, here at work. Several people had small telescopes and binoculars set up to view it. Then, after work I went to the "Transit Party" at my church. FUN!

[chrisupyonder]

I watched the start and the end on the Nasa live link. It was too cloudy here in Scotland to see anything.

Chris.

[Droid]

I got to see it here at the College campus I work at. The science department had a telescope set up for anyone to look through. A friend of mine took this picture with her phone.

[James Hood]

Son in law and his neighbour had a telescope set up to project on a small screen. We watched in awe for an hour and a half, talked astronomy-space-geek and had a couple brews to celebrate the astronomical phenomenon. Figured we'll be rather elderly when it happens again in 122 or so years.

[Pleater]

Typical - 10/10 cloud cover and rain, but at least I could watch it on line as I got the day right - Tuesday the 5th.

I only just caught it though.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: