http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/venus-transit-lures-sell-out-crowd/story-e6frfku0-1226384564209

THE Sydney Observatory is sold out as people clamber for a spot to watch a tiny black speck cross the face of the sun.

Starting at 8.16am (AEST) tomorrow our celestial neighbour Venus will travel between Earth and the sun, and will be visible until 2.44pm.

For Australia, the event is significant as Captain Cook’s 1769 voyage that eventually led him here began when he was given the task of observing the transit from Tahiti.

“Culturally, for modern Australia it’s a very significant event,” Sydney Observatory senior education officer Geoffrey Wyatt said. “It is technically … just a little black spot on the sun, but historically it’s so important for us.”

The transit of Venus also provides scientists with the data necessary to make calculations about the scale of the solar system, Mr Wyatt said.

“If you time the transit, as seen from different locations on the Earth and you know the exact locations of those observations, using some trigonometry you can actually work out the distance from the Earth to the sun,” he said.

“Once you do that, it’s very easy to work out the size of the solar system.”

The transit happens in 243-year cycles, with two pairs of transits separated by eight years.

“After the first pair (in 2004 and 2012), you’ve got (a wait of) 105 years, then you’ve got another pair … then you’ve got 121 and a bit years,” Mr Wyatt said.

“The next one we’ll see is in 2117.”

Mr Wyatt stressed people must take care to use proper equipment when observing the phenomenon.

He said looking directly at the transit wearing glasses, even a welding shield, was a bad idea.

“If you’re looking through those (welding glasses) at the sun, you don’t feel any pain, but it starts to trigger a chemical reaction in the back of your eye which ultimately does burn and scar.”

To help people without proper equipment witness the rare event, ninemsn will stream a feed from the Sydney Observatory telescope.

Warringah Council is also giving people the chance to see it, setting up a range of specialist equipment in Dee Why, including a feed from NASA.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/venus-transit-lures-sell-out-crowd/story-e6frfku0-1226384564209#ixzz1wt5cl29V

I heard an ad for n ABC programme about the Transit of Venus, it said that the transit of Venus had changed Australia’s history, that’s when I sat bolt upright and wondered what else could change our history.

Peak Warming Man said:

I heard an ad for n ABC programme about the Transit of Venus, it said that the transit of Venus had changed Australia’s history, that’s when I sat bolt upright and wondered what else could change our history.

potplants

Will Venus be wearing blue jeans?

Divine Angel said:

Will Venus be wearing blue jeans?

I’ve seen Venus wearing very short tennis skirts.

Peak Warming Man said:

I heard an ad for n ABC programme about the Transit of Venus, it said that the transit of Venus had changed Australia’s history, that’s when I sat bolt upright and wondered what else could change our history.

Chronometer!

I’ve heard that’s enough to make you go blind, never mind when she wanders across the sun.

Divine Angel said:

I’ve heard that’s enough to make you go blind, never mind when she wanders across the sun.

That’s the reason I now wear spectacles.

When’s the transit of Sharapova?

party_pants said:

When’s the transit of Sharapova?

The sooner the betterer. Too screechy.

Little bight out of the moon looked good last night.

Ian said:

The sooner the betterer. Too screechy.

Much easier on the eye though :)

party_pants said:

Ian said:

The sooner the betterer. Too screechy.

Much easier on the eye though :)

thighs of glory

There’s a little black spot on the sun today
It’s the same old thing as yesterday

‘Cept it’s not

This place is cool.. and very windy:

http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/webcasts/nasaedge/

You’re staring at the sun
You’re standing in the sea
Your body’s over me

This Ozzie one doesn’t shake as much:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/itelescope

I’m waiting for the sun to bulge in and out a la Medjugorje Miracle.

http://www.perthobservatory.wa.gov.au/Venus2012/VenusJava.html

Perth coming through

posted too soon – it is touch and go – weather is bad for sun watching

Mama always told me not to look in to the eyes of the sun,
But mama, that’s where the fun is.

AAHH! I LOOKED!!

Doctor, my eyes, tell me what is wrong
Was I unwise to leave them open for so long

No transit for us. It’s cloudy and rainy.

party_pants said:

No transit for us. It’s cloudy and rainy.

teh web view is the best anyway.

http://files.campus.edublogs.org/global2.vic.edu.au/dist/b/7575/files/2010/05/leunig-tv-sunset-300×215.jpg

apt

Boris said:

http://files.campus.edublogs.org/global2.vic.edu.au/dist/b/7575/files/2010/05/leunig-tv-sunset-300×215.jpg

AccessDeniedAccess Denied28D2128582E12FFEsX+Wsd2pBAs4vdUUKfwy0j10UGoOu/+R/+wohl90L0lwAbXZooqlFdLcUsD9jwYr

I think I know that leunig well :)

http://junior2m.global2.vic.edu.au/2010/05/09/picture-of-the-week-2/

> http://junior2m.global2.vic.edu.au/2010/05/09/picture-of-the-week-2/

That’s the one..
now just imagine it in full vibrant colour. :)

There’s a transit viewing session going on this village, partly to commemorate a historic one of last century. But I’m not in a going-out-to-view-a-transit mood.

>Transit of Venus – In 1874 the US Navy sent several teams to various points in the Southern Hemisphere to observe the Transit of Venus. Bad weather meant the team destined for the Crozet Islands could not land and ended up in Tasmania. They actually viewed the Transit from Valentine’s Park in Campbell Town. The phenomenon occurs in cycles of 120 then 12 years – the most recent was June 8, 2004.<

Bubble Car said:

There’s a transit viewing session going on this village, partly to commemorate a historic one of last century. But I’m not in a going-out-to-view-a-transit mood.

>Transit of Venus – In 1874 the US Navy sent several teams to various points in the Southern Hemisphere to observe the Transit of Venus. Bad weather meant the team destined for the Crozet Islands could not land and ended up in Tasmania. They actually viewed the Transit from Valentine’s Park in Campbell Town. The phenomenon occurs in cycles of 120 then 12 years – the most recent was June 8, 2004.<

That’s pretty cool. I’m also pretty sure that the people ‘round these parts couldn’t give a flying duck as to what’s happening in the skies :(

Ian said:

teh web view is the best anyway.

Acutally, you’re probably right there. I have one open in the background.

https://twitter.com/Dan_Anstey/status/210178365100003328/photo/1

A pic of Venus’ moon.

Divine Angel said:

https://twitter.com/Dan_Anstey/status/210178365100003328/photo/1

A pic of Venus’ moon.

Needs a n eye-safety warning

Looking at the live streaming picture on the ABC news website from time to time.

Obviously the large black dot is Venus.

What are the other black dots – sunspots? They seem pretty big, some about a quater or a third the apparent size of the planet but twice as far away. They must be huge structures.

party_pants said:

Looking at the live streaming picture on the ABC news website from time to time.

Obviously the large black dot is Venus.

What are the other black dots – sunspots? They seem pretty big, some about a quater or a third the apparent size of the planet but twice as far away. They must be huge structures.

Aye, they’re sunspots. The commentary on http://www.exploratorium.edu/venus/ says they are about as big as Earth.

Rather, the largest ones seen there are about as big as Earth.

Divine Angel said:

Aye, they’re sunspots. The commentary on http://www.exploratorium.edu/venus/ says they are about as big as Earth.

Thanks. I’ve been far too busy today for watching it at any great length. Work keeps interrupting my web-surfing.

It’s about to touch the limb, so now’s your last chance.

Divine Angel said:

It’s about to touch the limb, so now’s your last chance.

Cheers, I having lunch right now, might have a peep.

3rd contact a couple of mins ago (whatever that means)

looks good

Ah.. wiki knows:

First contact: the smaller body is entirely outside the larger body, moving inward (“exterior ingress”) Second contact: the smaller body is entirely inside the larger body, moving further inward (“interior ingress”) Third contact: the smaller body is entirely inside the larger body, moving outward (“interior egress”) Fourth contact: the smaller body is entirely outside the larger body, moving outward (“exterior egress”)

All finished.

Yep. Goodbye Venus!

The live webcast from Mauna Loa is showing a sped-up version. Good thing, I don’t have another 6.5 hrs to waste looking at it again :P

Divine Angel said:

Yep. Goodbye Venus!

The live webcast from Mauna Loa is showing a sped-up version. Good thing, I don’t have another 6.5 hrs to waste looking at it again :P

That was a good vodcast.

(the singing at the conclusion was a bit of a worry tho)

So – Thought I’d have a look at the live view and went and unearthed the ancient welding mask (I think it was the same model that Noah used) and scraped most of the crud off the glass and had a quick squiz.
I’ve got no idea what it is rated for… heavy duty welding(?)

Anyway, I can see still see goodly (for low values of goodly).

The live webcast from Mauna Loa is showing a sped-up version. Good thing, I don’t have another 6.5 hrs to waste looking at it again :P
-

Have you got the URL?

I don’t know if they’re still showing it, I turned it off a while ago.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/venus/

I was here -

http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/webcasts/nasaedge/

http://www.exploratorium.edu/venus/
-

Ta.

testing
-

testing

Damn magical moving hyphen.

I wonder if Elapid saw it.

OCDC said:

I wonder if Elapid saw it.

Probably milliseconds of it before he went blind from viewing the sun through binoculars.

Divine Angel said:

OCDC said:

I wonder if Elapid saw it.

Probably milliseconds of it before he went blind from viewing the sun through binoculars.

Probably got his guide dog to look.

Elapid Fido.

Sounds like a grunge band.

I was standing outside to watch the transit and now my suntan is missing a spot.

From Jimmy’s Journal.

Friday, 2nd. Very early this morning Lieutenant Hicks, Mr. Clark, Mr. Pickersgill and Mr. Saunders went away in the Pinnace to the Eastward, with orders to fix upon some Convenient situation upon this Island, and there to Observe the Transit of Venus, they being likewise provided with Instruments for that purpose.

Saturday, 3rd. This day proved as favourable to our purpose as we could wish. Not a Cloud was to be seen the whole day, and the Air was perfectly Clear, so that we had every advantage we could desire in observing the whole of the Passage of the planet Venus over the Sun’s Disk. We very distinctly saw an Atmosphere or Dusky shade round the body of the planet, which very much disturbed the times of the Contact, particularly the two internal ones. Dr. Solander observed as well as Mr. Green and myself, and we differ’d from one another in Observing the times of the Contact much more than could be expected. Mr. Green’s Telescope and mine where of the same Magnifying power, but that of the Doctor was greater than ours. It was nearly calm the whole day, and the Thermometer Exposed to the Sun about the Middle of the day rose to a degree of heat we have not before met with.

Sunday, 4th. Punished Archd. Wolf with 2 Dozen lashes for Theft, having broken into one of the Storerooms and stol’n from thence a large quantity of Spike Nails; some few of them where found upon him. This evening the Gentlemen that were sent to observe the Transit of Venus, return’d with success; those that were sent to York Island were well received by the Natives. That Island appear’d to them not to be very fruitful.

Monday, 5th. Got some of the Bread ashore out of the Bread Room to dry and Clean. Yesterday being His Majesty’s birthday, we kept it to-day and had several of the Chiefs to dine with us.

Peak Warming Man said:

From Jimmy’s Journal.

It was nearly calm the whole day, and the Thermometer Exposed to the Sun about the Middle of the day rose to a degree of heat we have not before met with.

The origin of the Sun Temperature!

Peak Warming Man said:

From Jimmy’s Journal.

. Not a Cloud was to be seen the whole day, and the Air was perfectly Clear, so that we had every advantage we could desire in observing the whole of the Passage of the planet Venus over the Sun’s Disk. We very distinctly saw an Atmosphere or Dusky shade round the body of the planet, which very much disturbed the times of the Contact, particularly the two internal ones… It was nearly calm the whole day, and the Thermometer Exposed to the Sun about the Middle of the day rose to a degree of heat we have not before met with.

Odd, you’d think the temp would be slightly lower considering there was a plaent in front of it n all :)