Discussion on:
View:
Show:
If you have a CD/DVD without anything printed on either side, you can look through the foil.
People just tend to repeat what they've heard without any regard for the actual truth!
Even optometrists disagree on what a safe level is.
Obviously magnifying the sun is a bad idea but many people can tolerate direct sun images and even stronger arc welding light. I'm not in that camp and will use a bit of auto adjusting welding glass on my scope.
Most people could just make a viewing box from a shoe box and simple instructions for eclipse viewing. http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/how.html
Obviously magnifying the sun is a bad idea but many people can tolerate direct sun images and even stronger arc welding light. I'm not in that camp and will use a bit of auto adjusting welding glass on my scope.
Most people could just make a viewing box from a shoe box and simple instructions for eclipse viewing. http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/how.html
but when it comes to my eyes, where there is doubt - there is no doubt.
If the clouds clear it will be the old 60mm refractor in projection mode.
If the clouds clear it will be the old 60mm refractor in projection mode.
I was in N California for the Annular Eclipse last month and several people had the shoebox pinhole camera setup. For an eclipse that might work okay, but the image was less than 1/2" tall. Trying to view something very small like Venus crossing the sun would probably be impossible, or at least not very satisfying. Even using my eclipse glasses it was a little difficult to make out the disk of Venus on the sun yesterday. Projecting with a pair of binoculars is the easy way to do this. If you have a telescope with a solar filter that is better, but since most people have binos that is undoubtedly the easiest.
Next transit December 2117. I believe that's 105 years, if I remember my grade school math!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus
you sir get my upvote
you sir get my upvote
And you get my upvote! You would have thought that the title of this article would have been corrected by now. Oh well. It's not like anyone alive today is going to miss it because they thought they had another ten years!
Actually it will be another 105.5 years astronomers predict until the next transit occurs and the two best places in the us to view the transit from start to finish is Alaska and Hawaii.
You can view it from Alaska by clicking here :http://www.sems.und.edu/Eclipse_Video.php
You can view it from Alaska by clicking here :http://www.sems.und.edu/Eclipse_Video.php
When you were a kid and someone told you that you were five years old, you probably made sure to correct them that you were five and a half years old.
How about this one...
On the day of my 5th birthday I took a walk around the corner and down the long side of the city block we lived on. I'd never walked that far down the street alone before. I figured 'I'm 5 now, I can go farther by myself!'
3/4 of the way down the block I spotted a boy about my age sitting on the railing of his porch. He leaped down and approached me with a smile. I opened the conversation, saying excitedly "I'm five!!"
"I'm five!" he replied.
I was thrown for a loop.. I got angry and said "No, I'm five!!"
He simply said again "I'm five," matter of fact-like.
I got angrier as this same exchange was duplicated, perhaps a dozen times. I was really getting worked up. Finally I said "Look, today is my birthday and now I am five years old!!!"
He finally paused for a moment, and obviously realized my confusion, "we're both five!" he said, putting his palms up in front of himself in welcome.
I finally realized what a dink I was, we both laughed for minutes over my simple misunderstanding. We became best friends and remained so until they moved out to the 'burbs when we were (both!) 10.
It was within a year or so of that day that I read about the transit of Venus, I remember clearly being motivated by the fact. I didn't think it was possible I'd make it to 2004, let alone 2012. But I witnessed both, and Tuesday was a more spectacular day than I could ever imagine.
The location was perfect, the Presque Isle lighthouse behind me, Lake Erie making the western horizon, crystal blue skies... I can expire now with no regrets.
On the day of my 5th birthday I took a walk around the corner and down the long side of the city block we lived on. I'd never walked that far down the street alone before. I figured 'I'm 5 now, I can go farther by myself!'
3/4 of the way down the block I spotted a boy about my age sitting on the railing of his porch. He leaped down and approached me with a smile. I opened the conversation, saying excitedly "I'm five!!"
"I'm five!" he replied.
I was thrown for a loop.. I got angry and said "No, I'm five!!"
He simply said again "I'm five," matter of fact-like.
I got angrier as this same exchange was duplicated, perhaps a dozen times. I was really getting worked up. Finally I said "Look, today is my birthday and now I am five years old!!!"
He finally paused for a moment, and obviously realized my confusion, "we're both five!" he said, putting his palms up in front of himself in welcome.
I finally realized what a dink I was, we both laughed for minutes over my simple misunderstanding. We became best friends and remained so until they moved out to the 'burbs when we were (both!) 10.
It was within a year or so of that day that I read about the transit of Venus, I remember clearly being motivated by the fact. I didn't think it was possible I'd make it to 2004, let alone 2012. But I witnessed both, and Tuesday was a more spectacular day than I could ever imagine.
The location was perfect, the Presque Isle lighthouse behind me, Lake Erie making the western horizon, crystal blue skies... I can expire now with no regrets.
I drove a couple hundred miles to get to clear weather to see the transit. I ended up on Presque Isle state park, Erie Pennsylvania. The weather was perfect.
I got video of the sun setting over lake Erie with the transit in progress. Venus looms larger for a brief moment before disappearing below the horizon. I plan on getting it on youtube when I get the time.
I had literally waited all my life for this event. (I saw the 2004 transit also) I remember learning of this when I was 6 or 7 and thinking I might not live to see it. (I nearly didn't, twice)
I got a few video clips earlier in the transit, and a number of the stills I took came out OK.
Funny thing, on the drive home I though about stuff like "what if there were a solar eclipse at the same time?" and similar. I see someone posted the wikipedia page for the transit, which has all kinds of cools stats.
Uncharacteristic of my bad luck, I lived through a June cluster, making it near certain I'd see the two events. I joked with my wife the other day that we probably won't even be in a position to see the next one, should the weather fail me this time. Looking at the wiki, I see the next December transit will in fact not be visible from my spot on the globe.
I woke up this am and realized... I have nothing to look forward to now. I'd better get on the stick, I'm thinking my first grand child's graduation... I'll be 67 then...
I got video of the sun setting over lake Erie with the transit in progress. Venus looms larger for a brief moment before disappearing below the horizon. I plan on getting it on youtube when I get the time.
I had literally waited all my life for this event. (I saw the 2004 transit also) I remember learning of this when I was 6 or 7 and thinking I might not live to see it. (I nearly didn't, twice)
I got a few video clips earlier in the transit, and a number of the stills I took came out OK.
Funny thing, on the drive home I though about stuff like "what if there were a solar eclipse at the same time?" and similar. I see someone posted the wikipedia page for the transit, which has all kinds of cools stats.
Uncharacteristic of my bad luck, I lived through a June cluster, making it near certain I'd see the two events. I joked with my wife the other day that we probably won't even be in a position to see the next one, should the weather fail me this time. Looking at the wiki, I see the next December transit will in fact not be visible from my spot on the globe.
I woke up this am and realized... I have nothing to look forward to now. I'd better get on the stick, I'm thinking my first grand child's graduation... I'll be 67 then...
- Keyboard Shortcuts:
- Prev
- Next
- Toggle
