Jun 062012
 

For only the 7th time in history, at least that we know about, human beings were able on Tuesday to observe Venus cross in front of the sun. There will not be another opportunity to behold this astronomical phenomenon for 105 years.

I saw the event from Lagoon Four at the Ko’olina on the west side of Oahu. Visibility was fantastic. Several kindly astronomers were generous enough to let passersby peek into their telescopes. I met one astronomer who had come all the way from Massachusetts. He said the event was the best moment of his life, and I believe he meant it. His telescope offered a beautiful view of Venus over the sun, with sun spots clearly visible in the background.

If you missed the transit, the next best thing is this terrific video from NASA:

Thank you, University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy! The Bishop Museum had sold out of solar viewers, so it was fantastic that the Institute not only had plenty of them, but was giving them away for free.

In 1760, Guillaume Le Gentil set out from Paris determined to observe the upcoming transit of Venus. He subsequently endured every imaginable stroke of bad luck. He returned home 11 years later, having missed both the 1761 and 1769 transits (the first time because he was stuck at sea, the second because of cloudy skies), only to discover that he had been declared dead and his wife had remarried.

Witnessing the transit gave me a sense of connection with the adventure-astronomers of the 1700s and 1800s like Guillaume Le Gentil, people to whom the event meant absolutely everything. It’s just extremely cool.

   
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