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Re: My View of the Transit of Venus
From: John Kabel
Date: 2004 Jun 8, 08:38 -0400
From: John Kabel
Date: 2004 Jun 8, 08:38 -0400
A good view of the planet and Sun through haze at about 0630 with my Astra IIIB and telescope sight, and dark filters. The transit was perhaps two-three planet diameters from done. I did see a website with some math, for those interested: http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/sunearthday/2004/2004images/VT_Activity3.p df The next transit will be visible in its entirety from much of Western Canada; how many of us will remember how to handle sextants then? John Kabel London, ON Canada > > It has been drought here in southern NSW, Australia. Total of 40mm of > rain in the last 6 months, crystal clear days and nights, week after > weekas we slip into winter. > > Today, low cloud, building and breaking during the day. The transit > commenced around 3.14.33pm local time (EST)....heavy cloud blocked all > view. > > Intermittent rays of sunshine for the next hour and a bit. Teasing. > > Then at around 4.20pm, the clouds around the sun cleared fora little > less than 5 minutes. Only time enough to take in the phenomena. An > absolutely brilliant view of the transit through my sextant telescope > and shades. While I had looked at animations of the transit, I had not > expected the shape of venus to be so "definite" on the sun's surface. > > At 4.30 the sun disappeared completely behind clouds and then the local > hills. > > So, how did others fare? > > Lee Martin