[General] Transit of Venus TOMORROW

[John Kelly]

HEY EVERYBODY!

This is your friendly neighborhood mad scientist, just trying to get the
word out in case you haven't heard:
there is a *Solar Transit of Venus* tomorrow afternoon, from about 5pm
(Central Time) until sunset.

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 *whole other
freakin' planet!*
Get your butts outside and see it, 'cause the next Venus transit won't be
until *2117*!
Holy once in a lifetime event, Batman!

http://www.transitofvenus.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus,_2012


If you're in or near the Huntsville area "*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*"
http://www.rocketcenter.com/mu/calendar/051112/transit-venus
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 "*astronomy-themed activity for children starting at 5:30 p.m*"


If you aren't in Huntsville, then you can still easily view the transit in
several ways:
♦Google "Venus Transit <your area>" and find your own local astronomical
society.
♦Build a pinhole camera.
    -It takes about 137 seconds to make, and will run you roughly $0.23 to
$0.27 cents to make.
♦Use a welding helmet and/or lens to look directly at the sun.
    -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.
    -You need to use at least a shade #14 or higher lens
    -*Do not* 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 *not* 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?!?".

♦More info on safe viewing and additional methods at:
    http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/how.html
    http://www.transitofvenus.org/june2012/eye-safety


Also, there's this:
*"Transit not visible from your location, or clouds interfering?
Watch the live
webcast <http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2012/transit/webcast.php> 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!*"


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!

HAVE FUN!!!
-John "that guy who tells your kids it's OK to stare at the sun" Kelly
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.makerslocal.org/pipermail/general/attachments/20120604/44c4e7bf/attachment.html>