Next Transit of Venus (5/6 June 2012) - not that long away

Reports of the last transit are in the July/August 2004 issue of Arcturus ...
www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/fi...00670-arc_jul_04.pdf

A pre-transit prep article is in the May/June 2004 issue ... www.irishastronomy.org/user_resources/fi...46344-arc_may_04.pdf

All the other Arcturus magazines linked to at www.southdublinastronomy.org/wiki/Arcturus

John

Hi,

Anthony, northern Australia would seem the best option weatherwise. Combined with the southern stars would be great. There probably will be tour companies (if too big get they get unweldy) or maybe independent (but distances in Australia are vast). Hawaii is another option, but much the transit is lower on horizon here.


Fintan,
A TOV is just like a partial solar eclipse, with all the same precautions. One difference is that Venus is very small, so a longer focal length would be needed. Best idea, is to search for images (preferably digital) from 2004 and see which minimum focal length gives a pleasing view. No need for a drive as exposures are for the filtered sun.


John

Hi John, fab images and thanks for sharing them.looking foward to the next set

Hi,

The Transit of Venus is now only three years off (times flies!).

One more option would be western N.America. Watch the Annular Eclipse in May and stay for a few weeks to see the Transit.

Any thoughts on sites?

John

use this link to find out which country or city will be the best!

www.transitofvenus.nl/details.html

I would like Svalbard islands and midnight Sun!

gosh, hard to believe its only 3 years away, I remember the last one as clear as day.

I had a look at starrynight, and the the Sun rises as seen from Limerick at 5.18am,
At this stage Venus is not far from leaving the disk of the Sun.
Venus makes third contact at 5.36am when the Sun is only 1.75 degrees above the horizon and fourth contact happens at ~5.53am with the Sun 4 degrees above the horizon.
Not good prospects from Ireland for sure, any horizon cloud will wipe you out !
I might go foreign for this.