UPDATE:<br>It has come to my attention that shade #14 lenses can be a pain in the rear to find.<br>Shade #12 is sufficient to protect your eyes from damage, but can be a bit uncomfortably bright.<br>If
you can't find a #14, I'd suggest stacking a shade #12 with another
welding lens, like a second #12, a #10, or even a #8 (commonly used for
the welding "goggles" used for torch/plasma cutting).<br>
Heck, two #10's should do the trick too. The important part is that the material you are using blocks the entire spectrum.<br><br>-John Kelly, purveyor of questionably useful advice<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Mon, Jun 4, 2012 at 2:53 PM, John Kelly <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:candleknight@gmail.com" target="_blank">candleknight@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_quote">HEY EVERYBODY!<br><br>This is your friendly neighborhood mad scientist, just trying to get the word out in case you haven't heard:<br>there is a <b>Solar Transit of Venus</b> tomorrow afternoon, from about 5pm (Central Time) until sunset.<br>
<br>A solar transit is when an object (in this case Venus) crosses between the earth and the sun. It's like a solar eclipse, but with a <b>whole other freakin' planet!</b><br>Get your butts outside and see it, 'cause the next Venus transit won't be until <u><b>2117</b></u>!<br>
Holy once in a lifetime event, Batman!<br><br><a href="http://www.transitofvenus.org/" target="_blank">http://www.transitofvenus.org/</a><br>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus,_2012" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus,_2012</a><br><br><br>If you're in or near the Huntsville area "<i>the Von Braun Astronomical Society, will host a free public viewing
for the Transit of Venus, on June 5, 2012 from 4:30-8 p.m. outside the
Davidson Center for Space Exploration</i>"<br>
<a href="http://www.rocketcenter.com/mu/calendar/051112/transit-venus" target="_blank">http://www.rocketcenter.com/mu/calendar/051112/transit-venus</a><br>
They should have all the equipment and whatnot that we'll need to view
it there, as well as people who actually know what they are talking about,
and an "<i>astronomy-themed activity for children starting at 5:30 p.m</i>"<br>
<br><br>If you aren't in Huntsville, then you can still easily view the transit in several ways:<br>♦Google "Venus Transit <your area>" and find your own local astronomical society.<br>♦Build a pinhole camera.<br>
-It takes about 137 seconds to make, and will run you roughly $0.23 to $0.27 cents to make.<br>♦Use a welding helmet and/or lens to look directly at the sun.<br> -If you don't have a welding helmet, you can go to Lowes, Home Depot, etc. and buy just the lens for around $5 - $10.<br>
-You need to use at least a shade #14 or higher lens<br> -<u>Do not</u> use sunglasses, polaroid filters, smoked glass, exposed color film, x-ray film, photographic neutral density filters, etc. Just because a filter makes the sun look dim for visible light does <u>not</u> mean that it's
blocking the invisible infrared or ultraviolet radiation that can burn the ever-lovin' bajeezes out of your eyes quicker than you can say "OH GOD! MY EYES!!! WHY?!? WHY didn't I listen to John when he told me not to do that very stupid thing which I just did despite the fact that he told me not to in extremely specific and unambiguous terms!?! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?".<br>
<br>♦More info on safe viewing and additional methods at:<br> <a href="http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/how.html" target="_blank">http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/how.html</a><br> <a href="http://www.transitofvenus.org/june2012/eye-safety" target="_blank">http://www.transitofvenus.org/june2012/eye-safety</a><br>
<br><br>Also, there's this:<br>
<i><span><span><span><span><span><span>"Transit not visible from your location, or clouds interfering? Watch the <a title="Webcast by NASA EDGE" href="http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2012/transit/webcast.php" target="_blank">live webcast</a>
from atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii, with expert commentary brought to you by
the fun team at NASA EDGE. Don't miss the 2012 transit of Venus!</span></span></span></span></span></span></i>"<br><br><br>
Observations of Venusian Solar transits were one of the earliest methods scientists used when they were originally trying to figure out the size of our solar system way back in the 1700's, so this should be pretty cool! Personally, I'm super excited, and I hope y'all are too!<br>
<br>
HAVE FUN!!!<br>
-John "that guy who tells your kids it's OK to stare at the sun" Kelly<br>
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