NSR: Transit of Venus

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:24 pm

Anybody excited about watching a dot move in front of another dot?

I am. heh. I think that the observatory here will have telescopes set up for viewing. Worse case scenario, I'll just have to watch it online.

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 2:45 pm

un_designer wrote:Anybody excited about watching a dot move in front of another dot?

Yes! Folks who wonder what the big woop is can sample a bit of the history of the 1761/1769 transit events at Wikipedia.

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 4:12 pm

An important thing in Pennsylvania/Maryland history as well.
More so, some may say, to Surveyors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ma ... t_of_Venus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Dixon

Remember as well, the monument at Mt Rushmore, 'Three Surveyors and another Guy'.

Scootagangsta · Post by **Scootagangsta** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 4:52 pm

watch online here http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/webcasts/mtwilson/

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:22 pm

There's a little black spot on the sun today....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4_7fe0VZdQ

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:43 pm

I'm riding up to Griffith Observatory after work, it's about two miles from my office. They're going to be selling sun shades but will also have specially-equipped telescopes on the lawn.

I even created a Spotify playlist to commemorate the event:
http://open.spotify.com/user/ericalm/pl ... PNZmZIyp9s

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:12 pm

ericalm wrote:I'm riding up to Griffith Observatory after work, it's about two miles from my office. They're going to be selling sun shades but will also have specially-equipped telescopes on the lawn.

What a treat! Be sure to stop and pay your respects at the James Dean memorial.

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:15 pm

jrsjr wrote:
ericalm wrote:I'm riding up to Griffith Observatory after work, it's about two miles from my office. They're going to be selling sun shades but will also have specially-equipped telescopes on the lawn.
What a treat! Be sure to stop and pay your respects at the James Dean memorial.

Always!
One of our stops on the LA Genuine Appreciation ride!

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 11:19 pm

Scootagangsta wrote:watch online here http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/webcasts/mtwilson/

Hey Scootagangsta, thanks for posting that link. I thought I was gonna watch with my little solar projection rig or maybe watch a stream from some local astronomers but, at the last minute, we clouded up and I ended up using your link as my fallback. Thanks, again!

Edwub · Post by **Edwub** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 11:43 pm

live streams:
http://venustransit.nasa.gov/transitofvenus/

You can chose where from in the world you want to watch it from! (click the map below the stream)

also: http://events.slooh.com/

Unfortunately, I'm working from home today but I know they've setup a ton of rigged telescopes at UCLA on the roof of the Jans building. >.< Woulda liked to drop by there if I was on campus.

The observatory is another obvious choice : D

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:29 am

cloudy here too

I'm watching online as well

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 1:52 am

I managed to catch the sun poking out from the clouds just before sunset on the way home from work. The sun visor on my helmet does a good job of turning the sun into a dim disk, and looking through it at a stop light I think I could make out a little dot where Venus would be, but I'm not sure. Nice way to end a long and tedious day.

cdwise · Post by **cdwise** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:37 am

My husband had the telescope and camera out taking photos of the projection from the telescope onto a blank canvas. However I didn't find the dot on the sun all that exciting.

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:38 am

I got some good pictures today thru the telescope. I'll try to post one or two.

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:39 am

Not the best , as I was in a hurry, just got home from work, grabbed my 3" refractor and took the pics off a projector shield with my crackberry phone. They looked better in person

Post by **ericalm** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 5:43 am

As much people watching as sky watching, but that's LA for ya, I guess. I did buy some solar shades that blocked out everything but the Sun and Venus, but not good for photos. I did shoot a couple rolls' worth of film and took a bunch with the iPhone.

BootScootin'FireFighter · Thu Jun 07, 2012 6:29 pm

mostly cloudy here all day, no love

jrsjr · Post by **jrsjr** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:21 pm

ericalm wrote:

I woke up this morning, you know... and the sun was shining, and it was nice, and all that type of stuff. And the first thing, I saw you, and, uh, I said, "Boy, this is gonna be one terrific day, so you better live it up, because tomorrow you'll be nothing." You see? And I almost was.
-James Dean in Rebel without a Cause

Fargo Rollin · Post by **Fargo Rollin** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 9:49 pm

A person here in Fargo inadvertently got a neat picture of a skydiver in front of the transit. They're in the process of trying to find out who it was. It'd be cool to be able to hang this up, point at it and say "Yup thats me in front of the sun and venus"

Here's the story: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/363396/

Modern Buddy

NSR: Transit of Venus

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