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23 April 2012
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Venus in Transit
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Last updated: 24 November 2005
Aber Now
Watch live images of a rare
planetary event as the planet
Venus passes in front of the
sun for only the sixth time
since the invention of the
telescope.
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Take our Venus photo tour
Scientists at the University of Wales Aberystwyth have launched a new website
beaming live images of the transit of Venus on Tuesday 8 June 2004. They've
also set up specialist equipment at Aberystwyth Arts Centre where people can
watch the cosmic event until 12.30pm today (Tuesday 8 June).
It's the first time Venus will have passed across the face of the Sun since
1882. The planet will appear as a black circle drifting across the Sun - a
transit observed only six times since 1639.
Experts are warning the public about the dangers of looking directly at the Sun
and have urged observers to use a safe method such as pinhole projection.
They emphasise that dark sunglasses or smoked glass don't provide adequate
protection and should not be used.
The team of Aberystwyth scientists is led by Dr Andy Breen, who's a solarterrestrial physicist at UWA's Institute of Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
"Until high-powered radars were available, the only way of measuring the
distance between the planets was by observing transits of Venus from many
different places on Earth, when the difference in the times when Venus crossed
the disc of the Sun could be used to calculate how far Venus was from the
Earth and - with further calculation - how far the Earth was from the Sun.
The expeditions to observe the Venus transits during the 18th and 19th
centuries were the first great international scientific programmes, sending
scientists from many countries out across the whole of the world to make
measurements - one expedtition even travelled to Tahiti with Caprtain Cook to
observe a transit.
Today, the size of the solar system is well-known but this year's transit is still
important for science as astronomers and space scientists use the change in
the spectrum of light from the Sun as Venus passes in front to test instruments
which will be used in the next generation of plante-hunting telescopes."
Use the following links to find out more:
UWA live web images
BBC Science
BBC News Online
If you're following this rare planetary event, add your comments by filling in
the boxes below.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
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Venus Views
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Last updated: 24 November 2005
Aber Now
On Tuesday 8 June 2004, the planet Venus passed across
the face of the Sun in a rare planetary event observed only
six times since 1639. Scientists at University of Wales
Aberystwyth set up specialist equipment in the town's Arts
Centre so that ordinary people could get a better view of a
cosmic phenomenon last seen in 1882.
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1 2 3 4 5 Scientists from the University of Wales Aberystwyth set up
screens in the foyer of the town's Arts Centre so that
members of the public could get a good look at Venus
passing across the face of the Sun.
your comments
katie from kent
at first i didnt see what was so important about the transit
of venus (me being a school child). but then i realised that it
is one of the most rare things that has ever happened and i
was amazed how fasinatin it was.i am really grateful to all
my teachers who all looked forward to it aswell.
norman lewis from nelson
brilliant
James Fells from London (on holiday in Aber)
It's one of the great cosmic phenomenons you only get to
see once in a lifetime
Margaret and Mike Sweet from York
We're on holiday in Aberystwyth and came along to the Arts
Centre with friends to have a look. It was very interesting.
The picture on the screen looked very similar to the inside of
a chicken's egg. We're lucky we came here because if we'd
tried to watch it outside, we wouldn't have seen anything
because of the cloud.
Clive Willson from University of Wales Aberystwyth
Events like the Venus transit are about bringing science to
the public. One of the most interesting things about today is
Aber Connections
A shop's century
A stroll around the harbour
Aber Prom
Ceredigion Museum
Ghosts on the prom
Great Storm of 1938
Holiday Memories
House Detective
Jackie 'The Monster' Jenkins
King's Hall Memories
Martin's Memories
North Parade 1905-1926
Pendinas
Plas Tan y Bwlch
Prom Days
RAF at The Belle Vue
Salford Lads and Girls' club
Sea Stories
The Dinner Scheme
University photos
Ukraine's Unsung Hero
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What's in a name
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University of Wales Aberystwyth
that it gives us a perspective on how small the planets are
compared to the Sun. Venus is about the same size as the
Earth and you can see clearly from the pictures that in
comparison to the Sun, it is absolutely tiny.
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23 April 2012
Accessibility help
Text only
BBC Homepage
Wales Home
BBC Local
Mid Wales
Things to do
Venus Views
more from this section
Last updated: 24 November 2005
Aber Now
On Tuesday 8 June 2004, the planet Venus passed across
the face of the Sun in a rare planetary event observed only
six times since 1639. Scientists at University of Wales
Aberystwyth set up specialist equipment in the town's Arts
Centre so that ordinary people could get a better view of a
cosmic phenomenon last seen in 1882.
People & Places
Aber Then
Nature & Outdoors
History
Religion & Ethics
Arts & Culture
Music
TV & Radio
Local BBC Sites
News
Sport
Weather
Travel
Neighbouring Sites
North East Wales
North West Wales
South East Wales
South West Wales
Related BBC Sites
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Cymru
Canolbarth
Clubs and Societies
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In Pictures
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Transit of Venus
1 2 3 4 5 Venus could be seen clearly on the screen as a small black
circle passing in front of the Sun.
Aber Connections
A shop's century
A stroll around the harbour
Aber Prom
Ceredigion Museum
Ghosts on the prom
Great Storm of 1938
Holiday Memories
House Detective
Jackie 'The Monster' Jenkins
King's Hall Memories
Martin's Memories
North Parade 1905-1926
Pendinas
Plas Tan y Bwlch
Prom Days
RAF at The Belle Vue
Salford Lads and Girls' club
Sea Stories
The Dinner Scheme
University photos
Ukraine's Unsung Hero
WW2 stories
What's in a name
related bbc.co.uk links
BBC News Online
BBC Science
Mid Wales Slideshows
related www links
University of Wales Aberystwyth
23 April 2012
Accessibility help
Text only
BBC Homepage
Wales Home
BBC Local
Mid Wales
Things to do
Venus Views
more from this section
Last updated: 24 November 2005
Aber Now
On Tuesday 8 June 2004, the planet Venus passed across
the face of the Sun in a rare planetary event observed only
six times since 1639. Scientists at University of Wales
Aberystwyth set up specialist equipment in the town's Arts
Centre so that ordinary people could get a better view of a
cosmic phenomenon last seen in 1882.
People & Places
Aber Then
Nature & Outdoors
History
Religion & Ethics
Arts & Culture
Music
TV & Radio
Local BBC Sites
News
Sport
Weather
Travel
Neighbouring Sites
North East Wales
North West Wales
South East Wales
South West Wales
Related BBC Sites
Wales
Cymru
Canolbarth
Clubs and Societies
Food and Drink
In Pictures
Music
People
Sport and Leisure
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What's on
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Telescopes
1 2 3 4 5 Powerful telescopes had been set up outside Aberystwyth
Arts Centre to relay live web pictures of the transit of
Venus.
Aber Connections
A shop's century
A stroll around the harbour
Aber Prom
Ceredigion Museum
Ghosts on the prom
Great Storm of 1938
Holiday Memories
House Detective
Jackie 'The Monster' Jenkins
King's Hall Memories
Martin's Memories
North Parade 1905-1926
Pendinas
Plas Tan y Bwlch
Prom Days
RAF at The Belle Vue
Salford Lads and Girls' club
Sea Stories
The Dinner Scheme
University photos
Ukraine's Unsung Hero
WW2 stories
What's in a name
related bbc.co.uk links
BBC News Online
BBC Science
Mid Wales Slideshows
related www links
University of Wales Aberystwyth
23 April 2012
Accessibility help
Text only
BBC Homepage
Wales Home
BBC Local
Mid Wales
Things to do
Venus Views
more from this section
Last updated: 24 November 2005
Aber Now
On Tuesday 8 June 2004, the planet Venus passed across
the face of the Sun in a rare planetary event observed only
six times since 1639. Scientists at University of Wales
Aberystwyth set up specialist equipment in the town's Arts
Centre so that ordinary people could get a better view of a
cosmic phenomenon last seen in 1882.
People & Places
Aber Then
Nature & Outdoors
History
Religion & Ethics
Arts & Culture
Music
TV & Radio
Local BBC Sites
News
Sport
Weather
Travel
Neighbouring Sites
North East Wales
North West Wales
South East Wales
South West Wales
Related BBC Sites
Wales
Cymru
Canolbarth
Clubs and Societies
Food and Drink
In Pictures
Music
People
Sport and Leisure
Student Life
What's on
Your Say
Under a cloud
1 2 3 4 5 Weather conditions over Aberystwyth, however, were far
from perfect. At about 9.30am, a mist rolled in from the
Irish Sea and the sun disappeared behind a blanket of
cloud...
Aber Connections
A shop's century
A stroll around the harbour
Aber Prom
Ceredigion Museum
Ghosts on the prom
Great Storm of 1938
Holiday Memories
House Detective
Jackie 'The Monster' Jenkins
King's Hall Memories
Martin's Memories
North Parade 1905-1926
Pendinas
Plas Tan y Bwlch
Prom Days
RAF at The Belle Vue
Salford Lads and Girls' club
Sea Stories
The Dinner Scheme
University photos
Ukraine's Unsung Hero
WW2 stories
What's in a name
related bbc.co.uk links
BBC News Online
BBC Science
Mid Wales Slideshows
related www links
University of Wales Aberystwyth
23 April 2012
Accessibility help
Text only
BBC Homepage
Wales Home
BBC Local
Mid Wales
Things to do
Venus Views
more from this section
Last updated: 24 November 2005
Aber Now
On Tuesday 8 June 2004, the planet Venus passed across
the face of the Sun in a rare planetary event observed only
six times since 1639. Scientists at University of Wales
Aberystwyth set up specialist equipment in the town's Arts
Centre so that ordinary people could get a better view of a
cosmic phenomenon last seen in 1882.
People & Places
Aber Then
Nature & Outdoors
History
Religion & Ethics
Arts & Culture
Music
TV & Radio
Local BBC Sites
News
Sport
Weather
Travel
Neighbouring Sites
North East Wales
North West Wales
South East Wales
South West Wales
Related BBC Sites
Wales
Cymru
Canolbarth
Clubs and Societies
Food and Drink
In Pictures
Music
People
Sport and Leisure
Student Life
What's on
Your Say
Live from Norway
1 2 3 4 5 ...all was not lost. With Aberystwyth under cloud cover, UWA
scientists swtiched to a feed of pictures from Trondheim in
Norway.
More Mid Wales Slideshows
Aber Connections
A shop's century
A stroll around the harbour
Aber Prom
Ceredigion Museum
Ghosts on the prom
Great Storm of 1938
Holiday Memories
House Detective
Jackie 'The Monster' Jenkins
King's Hall Memories
Martin's Memories
North Parade 1905-1926
Pendinas
Plas Tan y Bwlch
Prom Days
RAF at The Belle Vue
Salford Lads and Girls' club
Sea Stories
The Dinner Scheme
University photos
Ukraine's Unsung Hero
WW2 stories
What's in a name
related bbc.co.uk links
BBC News Online
BBC Science
Mid Wales Slideshows
related www links
University of Wales Aberystwyth
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