On June 8 most of the inhabited world will have a chance to witness one of the rarest spectacles in Nature - the Transit of Venus.
At sunrise that morning, the planet Venus will be passing directly between the sun and the Earth, moving in silhouette across the disk of the sun as seen from Earth and dimming its light by one-tenth of 1 percent.
It is the most infrequent of solar "eclipses." The last time it occurred was Dec. 6, 1882, and all who saw it then are gone.
When the 1882 transit ended, William Harkness, of the U.S. Naval Observatory, lamented that "there will be no other until the 21st Century of our era has dawned upon the Earth, and the June flowers are blooming in 2004."
Those flowers have finally sprouted 121 1/2 years later. But will the dawn be clear on the 8th? If not, most of us will get another chance to witness the transit when it recurs in eight years, on June 5, 2012. But after that, it will be 105 years - Dec. 11, 2117 - before the cycle comes around again.
The June 8 transit will arrive amid stern warnings against looking directly at the sun, which can cause instant eye damage and blindness.
Observers will have to use protective devices such as No. 14 welder's glass (available at local welding supply stores). They can also watch with experienced astronomers using solar filters or projection techniques, or see the transit live on the Internet.
But with the right gear and clear skies, you should be able to see Venus as a tiny black spot creeping across the bright disk of the sun.
I took astronomy as one of my classes in college and loved it except during the winter months when we had to be outside in the cold watching the skies. I'll definitely look into this, thanks! Very interesting!
Maybe the Chicago Transit Authority? 25 or 6 to 4?
(damn, I'm old)
You're just a youngster, growing up in the Age of Aquarius!
Dreamer1
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Look with the eyes of a child.
'Hope guides me. It is what gets me through the day, and especially the night.' -- A Knight's Tale "I talk to you as I talk to my own soul...and, Sassenach,” he whispered, “your face is my heart.” -- Jamie Fraser, "Dragonfly In Amber" by Diana Gabaldon @Dremnghrt on Twitter, Dreamnghrt on tumblr - come say Hi!
After all the years, and all the medications, I can still hear . . .
I got a brand new pair of roller skates, You got a brand new key. I think that we should get together and try them out you see. I been looking around awhile, You got something for me. Oh! I got a brand new pair of roller skates, You got a brand new key.
After all the years, and all the medications, I can still hear . . .
I got a brand new pair of roller skates, You got a brand new key. I think that we should get together and try them out you see. I been looking around awhile, You got something for me. Oh! I got a brand new pair of roller skates, You got a brand new key.
Oh, NO! Now I'll have that earworm in my head all day.
Must. . .sing. . .Privateers.
Oh, the year was a pair of roller skates, you got a brand new key.
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