# The official SDMB Annular Eclipse AND Transit of Venus Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 3, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728 "2012-04-03T20:12:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/41 "2012-04-28T04:44:06Z")
The previous annular eclipse in [the same Saros cycle](http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros128.html) was on May 10, 1994. I drove to central Illinois to see it. Somebody pointed out Venus during annularity. It was hard to find, but I did see it. However, I looked away and couldn’t find it again. That might be something for folks to try this time. Of course, the big event in the USA is only 5 years away now! [total solar eclipse visible coast-to-coast in US - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=480489) ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/42 "2012-04-28T04:58:39Z")
Wow, thanks for the heads-up! I’m in wayyyy so-Cal; I think I’ll drag the hubby out for some viewing and canoodling. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/43 "2012-05-09T03:01:25Z")
I’ll also have a look at the [partial lunar eclipse on 4 June](http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/eclipse/1222012/). ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/44 "2012-05-09T13:57:23Z")
> [@SunSandSuffering](#): > > Bah, doesn’t look like it’s going to be visible in the UK. > Saw it in 2004 though, very cool. > I used eclipse glasses but staring at the full sun in broad daylight was very hard. > Probably not safe to use welder’s glasses [like BwanaBob, above] please take care! > > Edited for Typo Welder’s glass rated 14 or higher are safe for solar viewing; to be clear, I’m talking about the wedge of dark green glass that goes in a welder’s mask, not glasses/goggles. They allow you to stare at the actinic light of a welder’s torch in safety. I have photographed partial solar eclipses through one several times. EDIT: I see Yetticus quoted the Sky & Telescope article where I learned of these filters. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/45 "2012-05-16T21:12:03Z")
Four more days! Gotta get my Dob primary and secondary mirror dust free… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/46 "2012-05-17T12:56:11Z")
[Here](http://www.flickr.com/photos/42009607@N00/7215151066/in/photostream#/photos/42009607@N00/7215151066/in/photostream/lightbox/) is my composite shot of the 2004 Transit of Venus, taken from the Stadtpark in Vienna. The entire transit took over six hours, included 81 shots, and I calculated the time of each shot to the nearest second. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/47 "2012-05-17T18:50:04Z")
Very nice composite shot,\*\* panache\*\*…15 minute intervals with 3 shots per interval? ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/48 "2012-05-18T09:31:47Z")
Heading up above the Arctic Circle to Kiruna, Sweden to try to catch the whole show on June 6. There is no way I’m missing this one unless the clouds foil the attempt. Here’s hoping… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/49 "2012-05-18T14:53:28Z")
> [@yeticus rex](#): > > very nice composite shot,\*\* panache\*\*…15 minute intervals with 3 shots per interval? I added some “full sun” shots at the beginning and end, for calibration purposes. 07:05:03 full sun 07:09:59 full sun 07:14:55 full sun 07:19:51 contact 1 07:24:47 07:29:43 07:34:39 07:39:35 contact 2 07:44:30 07:49:24 07:54:19 07:59:14 08:04:08 08:09:03 08:13:58 08:18:52 08:23:47 08:28:42 08:33:37 08:38:31 08:43:26 08:48:20 08:53:15 08:58:10 09:03:04 09:07:59 09:12:54 09:17:48 09:22:43 09:27:38 09:32:32 09:37:27 09:42:22 09:47:16 09:52:11 09:57:06 10:02:00 10:06:55 10:11:50 10:16:44 10:21:39 10:26:34 10:31:28 10:36:23 10:41:18 10:46:12 10:51:07 10:56:02 11:00:56 11:05:51 11:10:46 11:15:40 11:20:35 11:25:30 11:30:24 11:35:19 11:40:14 11:45:08 11:50:03 11:54:58 11:59:52 12:04:47 12:09:42 12:14:36 12:19:31 12:24:26 12:29:20 12:34:15 12:39:10 12:44:04 12:48:59 12:53:54 12:58:48 13:03:43 contact 3 13:08:34 13:13:25 13:18:17 13:23:08 contact 4 13:27:59 full sun 13:32:50 full sun 13:37:42 full sun ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/50 "2012-05-18T18:49:08Z")
Well, I started cleaning my primary mirror on my 8" Dob…10 years of dust that magically finds its way into the tube, and I probably should have started earlier…will leave tomorrow for Vegas to gamble, eat and have some fun, and then to Zion NP and St. George on Sunday. Sunday night in Vegas again and home on Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/51 "2012-05-20T23:16:58Z")
So how is the weather on the US west coast? Sunny and clear and good for viewing? Or cloudy? We don’t get to see any of the annular eclipse here, so naturally it’s reasonably sunny this morning. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/52 "2012-05-20T23:26:16Z")
We live within traveling distance, if walking 12 feet from the door constitutes travel. A bunch of neighbors gathered around. Beautiful, if just a little too cloudy, but at total eclipse, the clouds allowed you to see it was a naked eye. We had several minutes of total eclipse, so I had time to go in and have my wife and kids come in. It was unfortunate timing, coming right during the rush to get ready for day care and work, but still very nice to take a break for a minute. My 3 1/2 year old thought it was really cool the see the sun look like the moon at partial eclipse, but couldn’t really understand the ring. My 19-month old thought the birds were exciting. Too bad they weren’t a little older to remember. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/53 "2012-05-21T00:37:48Z")
Beautiful clear skies in L.A. The eclipse began here about 10 minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/54 "2012-05-21T01:12:09Z")
Well, that was funky. I just walked outside and got a glimpse. The Sun was low enough in the sky, and shining through a gauzy layer of clouds, so that I could look at it long enough to see the bite taken out of the leading edge. Unfortunately we don’t a fat enough partial here to make a noticeable difference in sky brightness–it’s getting dark at the same pace as any other spring evening. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/55 "2012-05-21T02:40:03Z")
Just got back from viewing the eclipse with a group of friends on the West Mesa near the volcanoes just west of Albuquerque. We had a beautiful view with clear skies. I bought several pairs of eclipse glasses so we could all watch. It was spectacular, everyone enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/56 "2012-05-21T04:33:59Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Beautiful clear skies in L.A. The eclipse began here about 10 minutes ago. ETA: Here are a few of shots[sup]1[/sup]; the first one is from right before I posted the above: [The eclipse begins](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238749420/sizes/h/in/photostream/). That picture, like the next two, was taken from downtown Culver City. [A little later](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238739244/sizes/l/in/photostream/). [Later still](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238733976/sizes/h/in/photostream/). As I noted above, the day was clear at this time so these shots were taken through a solar filter, which was held in front of the camera lens. By the time I got home, about a half hour later, I noticed that the usual late afternoon clouds had begun to float in. This didn’t seem to bode well at first, but in the end turned out to be the best thing that could have happened, because it allowed these next shots, approaching and around the time of maximum occultation to be taken without the filter. [Near maximum I](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238729848/sizes/l/in/photostream/) [Near maximum II](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238723292/sizes/l/in/photostream/). This was taken without zoom. [Near max III](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238716790/in/photostream/). [Near max IV](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238874808/sizes/c/in/photostream/). [Near max V.](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238861652/sizes/l/in/photostream/) [Near max VI](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238764086/sizes/l/in/photostream/). [And one final wide shot](http://www.flickr.com/photos/78538399@N00/7238756414/sizes/l/in/photostream/). (Note: the camera’s clock is about one day behind, so the date stamps here are incorrect at the time of posting. I may go back in later and fix that.) [sup]1[/sup]All pictures taken with 12Mpx digital camera at maximum zoom except where noted. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/57 "2012-05-21T04:36:21Z")
Saw it today in Gilroy, CA, about 150ish miles south of the optimal position. I didn’t have a safe direct viewer, so we made a pinhole camera, like many probably did. I must say, the amount of light that was dimmed was expected but still surprising, I had to turn on lights in my south-facing office at the time to see well. But I also saw an effect I wasn’t expecting: nearby objects, like the tree in my side yard, also acted like pinhole cameras, and projected crescent-shaped images of the sun around my home. [Here’s](http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn66/squeegee64/eclipsecrescents.jpg) an image of the side of my house with the normally ‘dappled’ sunlight from the large oak nearby rendered as hundreds of crescents by this eclipse. So I didn’t see the eclipse directly, but I also saw it a hundred times at once, how cool is that? For scale, note the edge of my AC unit at far left, and the shadow of the top of my yard fence at bottom. ---
**Author:** ![Stendhal\_Syndrome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Stendhal\_Syndrome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stendhal_Syndrome)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/58 "2012-05-21T04:49:01Z")
I didn’t know about the eclipse beforehand, so I wasn’t prepared. I scurried to figure out a way to watch it. I found my husband’s old spine xray and it worked great. I took these [pictures](http://gurujulpmiscpics.shutterfly.com/4)on my iphone while looking through the xray. The quality is not that great, but I am glad I was able to capture something. It was a special moment for me since my husband died recently and it felt like I watching the eclipse with him. Wait…through him.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/59 "2012-05-21T15:01:36Z")
I have only marginal connectivity, so I’m posting these four photos while I have a chance: [![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7241965266_deff57cb26_k.jpg) ](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7241965266_deff57cb26_k.jpg) [![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7241965700_2c2063954a_k.jpg) ](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7241965700_2c2063954a_k.jpg) [![](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/7241966156_070ca0eeb7_k.jpg) ](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/7241966156_070ca0eeb7_k.jpg) [![](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7242001624_d349bd3e21_h.jpg) ](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7242001624_d349bd3e21_h.jpg) These were taken from Sandia Peak. I mis-judged the timing by about 1/2 hour - we would have had better luck around 400 miles farther east. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728/60 "2012-05-22T03:21:07Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I have only marginal connectivity, so I’m posting these four photos while I have a chance: > [http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7241965266\_deff57cb26\_k.jpg](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7241965266_deff57cb26_k.jpg) > [http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7241965700\_2c2063954a\_k.jpg](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7241965700_2c2063954a_k.jpg) > [http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/7241966156\_070ca0eeb7\_k.jpg](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/7241966156_070ca0eeb7_k.jpg) > [http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7242001624\_d349bd3e21\_h.jpg](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7242001624_d349bd3e21_h.jpg) > > These were taken from Sandia Peak. > > I mis-judged the timing by about 1/2 hour - we would have had better luck around 400 miles farther east. Poor luck or not, these are awesome, especially the last one with the full ring effect. BTW when I look at this thread on my computer, I have to click on the links, but when I use my Android mobile device the pictures appear immediately on loading the page. Does that happen for anyone else? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-sdmb-annular-eclipse-and-transit-of-venus-thread/617728.md?page=4)