Observing the Transit (that's me at the telescope)
06/08/2004 0930 UTC
From my notebook of the observation of the transit of Venus, which
I observed from the parking lot at work (Tewksbury, MA):
Got set up at 5:30. Fog bank over the swamp to the east obscuring the sun.
5:40 Fog started to clear. You can see this big red ball of sun with a black
dot in the 5-o'clock position. Still too dark to see in the scope with the
solar filter in place. Amazing!
5:45 Acquired the sun and Venus in the telescope. Venus was about six times
its diameter from the edge of the sun. Three small sunspots near the center of
the solar disk as well. Tried all combinations of eyepieces and Barlow
available. Best view is with lowest power -- you get the best sense for what
you are seeing; at high power you see a black circle and the edge of the solar
disc.
6:20 Lost the sun in a cloud bank.
6:40 Re-acquired the sun. Venus is now about two diameters from the edge of
the sun.
7:05 Venus touches the edge of the sun. I was watching for the "black drop
effect", but didn't see anything odd.
7:10 - 7:20 The sun was in and out of clouds.
7:25 Venus emerges from the edge of the sun.
Several co-workers dropped by as I was observing and one (Dan Smith, who took the pictures below) had his Questar 3-1/2" scope as well.
This page copyright (c) 2003 - 2004 by David A. Wallace.