Posted on 06/06/2004 9:43:44 AM PDT by blam
Look out for rare space spectacle
June 06 2004 at 04:12PM
Hamburg - Tuesday's transit of Venus in front of the sun will be only the sixth such event observed by humans, and astronomers say nobody alive today has seen the phenomenon, which is barely noticeable because it only imperceptibly reduces visible sunlight.
Past transits in 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874 and 1882 were monitored from Earth. Slight differences in the start and finish time were used to roughly calculate the distance of the sun from the Earth.
The transit will be visible from all parts of Earth where the sun is in the sky between approximately 0513 and 1126 GMT, according to Nasa astronomers.
The actual contact times for any given observer may differ by seven minutes plus or minus.
Countries between Morocco and Thailand, including most of Africa, will see the transit in its entirety.
Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia will witness the beginning of the transit but the Sun will set before the event ends. Observers in western Africa, eastern North America, the Caribbean and most of South America will only see the end of the transit.
A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of the sun, as seen from the Earth. Transits are similar in concept, as they happen when one of the two planets closer to the sun than the Earth - Mercury or Venus -passes across the disc of the sun. - Sapa-dpa
Fuhgeddabahtit, California.
So it's already over?
Don't suppose we can convince democrats that it's safe to stare into the sun do you?
These reports are often, maybe usually, in GMT. That's fine for the provincials in England. How about American time.
Nah, think about it. If ALL the democraps were blind they would ALL go on welfare & they would want us to lead them around & wait on them.
And the difference would be?
...Tuesday, June 8th...
...On the east coast at sunrise. Look at the top quarter of the sun. That's actually a great time to look at the sun, plenty of atmosphere to block the harmful rays. You will need a five power or better telescope, maybe a good set of binoculars. (solar reflector optional for the US). Venus will rise to top of the sun. The event will only last an hour or two, the further west, the shorter the duration. Good Luck, folks...
During daylight time the EST subtracts 4 hours, Central 5 hours, Mountain 6 hours, Pacific 7 hours. During standard time its 5, 6, 7, 8.
They got lunar eclipses and solar eclipses mixed up. A solar eclipse happens when the moon comes between the earth and the sun, and therefore can be likened to the transit of Mercury or Venus across the face of the sun. A lunar eclipse happens when the full moon travels through the earth's shadow.
Yeah, they did mess that up. Quite sloppy reporting.
Last sunrise at Prudhoe Bay was May 22. The sun just goes round and round. What time is the transit EDT so they know when to clear a path through the mosquitoes?
...Shht, I missed that. An astronomy amateur. Don't I feel the fool. Thanks, good on yer...
Don't suppose we can convince democrats that it's safe to stare into the sun do you?
Make sure you remind them to use a pair of high power binoculars - 10X50 at least.
...Uhhh, I'm not sure about transit EDT. My guess is the farther north, the more of the northern sky will be visible...
...Thanks for evolving some ideas I might not have thunk on my own. If yer have any more questions about science, ask a scientist...%!)
Then you live on the edge of a massive meteor strike many millions of years ago. Is your well water salty?
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