Transit of Venus June 2012 etc.

[Extollager]

I just ordered a telescope and a sun filter to be ready for the 5 June 2012 transit of Venus. I hope it's not cloudy here that day... Anyone else have plans for the event?

I checked, and though Lovecraft was a serious amateur astronomer, he never got to see one -- there was one in 1882, eight years before his birth -- the next one was in 2004!

I know of Arthur C. Clarke's "Transit of Earth," a story I mean to reread soon.

Anyone have any other reflections more or less relevant to this topic?

[Extollager]

Really, no one has plans to observe the transit?

Not that it matters -- but actually I didn't buy the telescope just for the transit; I'd wanted one for years and the upcoming transit was the nudge.

I see from Contento that Miriam Allen de Ford (never seem to see her discussed, wonder why) had a story called "Transit of Venus" -- I will try to get hold of this. It is in her book Xenogenesis. Story first appeared F&SF June '62.

[gully_foyle]

I sold my telescope when I left Canberra, I miss it a bit. Brisbane is not as good a place for astronomy. Good time to be looking at the moon though. What type of telescope did you get?

[Extollager]

Originally Posted by gully_foyle

What type of telescope did you get?

The Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Telescope -- it sounds like a good beginner telescope that I won't outgrow in a hurry.

[Grunkins]

I live on the northeast US, which unfortunately means there's a tremendous amount of light in the sky, not many good spots for stargazing. Telescopes are amazing fun.

[Extollager]

Originally Posted by Grunkins

I live on the northeast US, which unfortunately means there's a tremendous amount of light in the sky, not many good spots for stargazing. Telescopes are amazing fun.

I live in small-town North Dakota, and one of the things that would keep me here is the night sky. I have observed Uranus (through binoculars) without having to leave my yard. On a late-evening walk on a clear evening, the Andromeda galaxy, and Mizar and Alcor in the Big Dipper, are naked-eye objects. We have some light pollution, but I can't complain. (I did join the International Dark-Sky Association, though.)

[pyan]

Moved to Science / Nature...

[Extollager]

A little cloudy here in North Dakota... my guess is that there will be some good viewing from time to time.Murkier than this where I am....

[Extollager]

We're getting breaks in the clouds and I've had several fine sights of the transit. When clouds flow across the sun and blot it out, it looks like what you see when you let a few drops of ink fall into a glass of water.

There are four sizable sunspots (none as big and dark as Venus) and several smaller ones.

[Grimward]

Here in the Mid Atlantic Seaboard US, it was supposed to be visible in the Western Sky for few hours before sunset (at least, that's what I heard on the news radio). Unfortunately, the break in the clouds occurred about 20 miles north of where I am in the suburbs of Wash. DC. No transit viewing for me.

[gully_foyle]

I showed the kids this morning using binoculars focused onto paper. I had to put my sunglasses over the binoculars so the image wasn't too bright on the paper. It was at the start of the transit and you could see the spot of Venus quite clearly. I've got the webcam going in my office all day.

Yes, I am an astronomy tragic.

[Extollager]

We ended up having periods of excellent viewing for the transit here in eastern North Dakota. Around 9:20 the sun was nearing the horizon and went behind a cloud, but it re-emerged into golden murk before setting and gave us one last glimpse of Venus against the partly-revealed solar disc.

Now I'm hoping to see the transit of Mercury in May 2016.

[GOLLUM]

We saw it on Wednesday June 6 here in Melbourne, Australia. There were many people wearing special glasses plus keen observers with their telescopes with a viewing window of several hours in the morning to early afternoon. Quite a sight actually!

The Melbourne Observatory also offered a special opportunity for people to view it along with other organisations.