Transit of Venus-you won't see this again for 100+ years!

One Day Before Our Once-in-a-Lifetime Event 

by R. G. Rienks

 

Tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday, June 5th, 2012, you will have an opportunity to safely view and photograph the Venus Solar Transit. This event will not be repeated for 105 years, or until 2117. Come to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and look on the west side of the building for our selection of telescopes. These are solar research telescopes and will allow safe views of the Sun. NO OTHER TELESCOPE IS SAFE FOR VIEWING THE SUN. Be sure to bring your camera as you will be told how you can take photos of the transit. As Venus passes across the face of the Sun you will see the planet as a black spot in the telescopes. Perhaps you will be able to detect the atmosphere of Venus. Will you be able to see it through our viewing masks? We will find out just how big the planet appears. The transit begins at 1500 hours or 3:00 PM PDT and we will stay until closing at 6:00 PM. The Sun will set with Venus in transit. A variety of hand-outs will help you in your explorations of astronomy. Thanks to our sponsors, Astronomy Magazine and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

 

Saturn remains in Virgo, Mars is 16.5° behind Regulus. The full Moon rises by 9:00 PM, more than 60° behind Saturn. I have been asked to explain the meaning of these degrees of separation. The degrees relate to the distance in angle of arc between two objects. To make it easy to gauge the distance we use our hands and fingers. In simple form, if you make a fist and hold it at arm’s length, the width from one side to the other across the knuckles will be about ten degrees. Using your star chart from www.skymaps.com (this is a free download) locate the constellation Leo. Next find Regulus. Mars will be about a fist and a half to the east of Regulus. Note the red color of Mars - if the clouds allow a view. For one degree we use the index finger first joint. As the Moon is about half a degree wide when full you can cover it with your finger, proving the value of body metrics. Curiously, a ruler marked in centimeters also works. One centimeter at arms length is roughly one degree of arc.