The official SDMB Annular Eclipse AND Transit of Venus Thread

[garygnu]

Looking through my pictures, I love the fact that I’ve also captured sunspots, which I didn’t notice at the time.

[AaronX]

Was quite cloudy today until maybe 1 hour before the end. I took my camera, set it to lowest exposure settings and max zoom, and grabbed a piece of welding glass around:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronx85/7343983460/
Staring at the sun isn’t bad for my camera, is it?

[Cunctator]

The transit finished about 20 minutes ago, and the weather continued patchy throughout. It cleared around 1130 to give us some great views of the maximum transit. But then the clouds and rain closed in again. We got a few final glimpses of 4th contact, and that was it.

Even so, it was great fun. After it finished many in the crowd were discussing their next objective: Cairns for the total solar eclipse on 14 November.

[Taomist]

I think the rule should be that anyone who got pics should share, for those of us who had no chance to see it!

[beowulff]

Another photo, just before sunset. Taken with my Criterion 4000 (effective FL~1,200 mm) and my Nikon D90, using 1 sheet of aluminized mylar as a filter.

[Anne_Neville]

@Bumbershoot

I got curious about the distances involved so I did a little research:

Right now Venus is about 108,000,000 km (67,000,000 mi) from the Sun.

Earth is about 150,000,000 km (93,000,000 mi) from the Sun.

So Venus is considerably closer to us (about 42,000,000 km or 26,000,000 mi) than it is to the Sun.

(All distances approximate)

And remember, this is a world that is almost the size of Earth. That should give you some idea of the size of the Sun, and the distances involved in the Solar System.

Transits of Venus actually were used historically to determine the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

[Anne_Neville]

@Malleus_Incus_Stapes

So wait, are they saying that you can look at the sun through a random cd? I’m confused.

I’m trying to figure out what household materials would make acceptable veiwer things.

I wouldn’t use any. If you damage your eyes looking at the Sun, there is nothing anybody can do to fix it. Is that a chance you really want to take?

[garygnu]

I got some decent pictures, not great. Here’s two just as Venus is coming across the Sun.

My favorite is this one, which is grainy and blown out, but when I boosted the levelsin Photoshop, the “ring of fire” Venus might (might) be visible. It could just be an artifact, but it doesn’t show up in any other picture, and it was taken at about the right time for it.

[Bumbershoot]

@Anne_Neville

And remember, this is a world that is almost the size of Earth. That should give you some idea of the size of the Sun, and the distances involved in the Solar System.

Transits of Venus actually were used historically to determine the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

That’s what I was thinking when I was watching yesterday- “How big must the Sun be for Venus to look so tiny when it is so much closer to us?”

It’s like when I see videos of solar flares or the recent “tornadoes” on the surface of the Sun and they say “Keep in mind these are quite a bit larger than our entire planet.” Truly mind-boggling.

[BobLibDem]

@Bumbershoot

That’s what I was thinking when I was watching yesterday- “How big must the Sun be for Venus to look so tiny when it is so much closer to us?”

It’s like when I see videos of solar flares or the recent “tornadoes” on the surface of the Sun and they say “Keep in mind these are quite a bit larger than our entire planet.” Truly mind-boggling.

It is indeed. But seeing more comparisons really brings our insignificance home.

[Cunctator]

Here are some photos of the crowds at the Observatory in Sydney yesterday.