Tuesday 5 June 2012

Getting ready for the Transit of Venus


It sounds so romantic: Captain Cook's sailing voyage across the Pacific in 1769 to witness the Transit of Venus.

Tomorrow, June 6, 2012 this rare once-in-100-year event happens again  and in Perth the transit can be observed from 6.30 AM til 12:40 PM.

The transit occurs when, as seen from Earth, Venus appears to move across the front on the Sun.

Obviously you can’t look directed at the Sun so one recommended way to observe the transit is by using a pin hole camera. Scitech have some great information on their site including a description of how to build a pin hole camera. I have followed the instructions and have at the ready. The only slight hitch is Perth is set for a cloudy day tomorrow :( ....fingers crossed!!
Image from http://pichaus.com/+space/

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