On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 5, 2012, the planet Venus will pass in front of the Sun. This event, called a “transit”, is relatively rare. After this coming Tuesday, the next transit of Venus will occur in December of 2117, more than 105 years from now. Next Tuesday, weather permitting (i.e. no cloud in front of the Sun), I plan to set up a small telescope on the Castlegar Campus of Selkirk College in the outdoor area between the main foyer and the Administration Building, on the south side of the Administration Building, between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Pacific Daylight Saving Time. Everyone is invited to come and have a look anytime during that interval. You should never attempt to look directly at the Sun; serious eye damage can result. The telescope will project an image of the Sun so that it can be viewed safely. The transit on Tuesday will be visible from about 3:25 p.m. until sunset. The angular diameter of Venus is 1/32 of the apparent angular diameter of the Sun (or approximately 3 percent of the Sun’s angular diameter), so Venus will appear as a circular black dot silhouetted against the surface of the Sun. Per JoensenInstructor, Physics & AstronomySelkirk College
She’s Your Venus
Miss this one and hope for incredibly good health, like 105 years worth!
The next time this phenomenon will occur is in 105 years
