Well, what a great day for a transit of Venus! After missing the morning first and second contact due to cloud cover, I tried again at the start of lunchtime but was foiled by clouds again. Walking back from lunch I tried one more time to line up at the telescope on campus at the right moment, and this time I saw it: the transit of Venus, through the filtered end of a telescope attachment. Woohoo!
Everyone was politely jostling to take a photo with mobile phones. I took a couple of pictures then stepped back to make room. Then a guy handed me a pair of solar binoculars, treated with aluminium lenses. I looked through these and shouted, ' that's incredible!', which made everyone laugh. I could see the sun as a golden ball of fire in the darkness, and Venus as a tiny spot on its surface. It was wonderful!
I'm so glad I was actually able to see it with my own eyes.
My sweetheart has named his latest musical composition after the event, and we're listening to it now for the third time.
Only 105 &1/2 years till the next one!
Everyone was politely jostling to take a photo with mobile phones. I took a couple of pictures then stepped back to make room. Then a guy handed me a pair of solar binoculars, treated with aluminium lenses. I looked through these and shouted, ' that's incredible!', which made everyone laugh. I could see the sun as a golden ball of fire in the darkness, and Venus as a tiny spot on its surface. It was wonderful!
I'm so glad I was actually able to see it with my own eyes.
My sweetheart has named his latest musical composition after the event, and we're listening to it now for the third time.
Only 105 &1/2 years till the next one!
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