Transit of Venus June 8, 2004
June

FAQ

What is a transit of Venus?
The transit is the movement of Venus across the face of the sun as Venus orbits between earth and the sun .
What can I expect to see?
Look for the black disk of Venus move toward the edge of the rising sun. A magnified view through a solar filter may reveal the “black drop” effect, sunspots, the atmosphere of Venus, and other rare sights.
Who can see it?
Observers in the eastern United States will see it at
sunrise. Observers in the western United States can track the transit live through webcasts. See map below.
What is the significance of a transit?
Transits help determine our place in the cosmos. Historically, explorers ventured across the globe to time transits. NASA’s Kepler mission will seek earth-class planets by detecting transits around distant stars.
How can I participate?
People of all ages can witness this rare phenomenon. Students can time the transit and contribute their data to global observing projects to quantify the earth-sun distance, or Astronomical Unit.
Where is more information?
See www.transitofvenus.org
and Paper Plate Education at
http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/transit.htm.

Black Drop Effect:
At internal contact,
Venus appears to
elongate, confounding
astronomers for centuries.

Observers must use proper solar filters, such as #14 welding glass or “Eclipse Shades.”

Witness a celestial spectacle
not seen by any human
now alive!

Transit of Venus

Newsletter Date

Volume 1, Issue 1

June 8, 2004

Transit of Venus June 8, 2004
June

Venus passes
between the sun and earth.

Hands-on activities illustrate why transits of Venus are so rare.

World visibility map courtesy of Fred Espenak, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center