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2004 Venus Transit In Pictures

Posted by timothy on from the just-like-lady-godiva dept.

oneiros27 writes "For those astronomy fans out there -- pictures are starting to come in from the 2004 Venus Transit (where Venus passes in front of the sun). Times of the transit will vary by city, but make sure you use safe techniques for viewing the sun if you want to look for yourself." Anonymous Coward writes "Check out the transit of Venus webcast from Australia. It starts at 4.50 UTC on June 8." Update: 06/07 04:03 GMT by T : Linked webcast link updated to a URL projected to better handle the load, thanks to reader Tom Minchin.

3 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. Sir? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    May I be the first to ask.. uh... "So what?"...

    Not meaning to troll or flamebait. Just.. seriously... so *what*?

  2. You're such a liar by aussie_a · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    how could you have a crater named after a non-existant girlfriend ;)

  3. This _IS_ significant by uss_eldridge · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Can't believe nobody has got the significance of this, and the number of modded posts trivializing this issue.

    Mod me down at your peril.

    This represented a significant issue in meso-american culture.

    It is the last Venus transit pair in the Mayan/Toltec calendar i.e. the beginning of the end.

    Historically this would have the next eight years would represent a period of extremely escalated ritual violence that puts most classical cultures to shame.

    The transit of 1518-1526 to the priesthood (assigned to Quetzalcoatl) involved someone wearing a feathered hat - Hernan Cortez who, partly due to his recognized deity status, managed to grab more gold and slaughter more innocents than any colonial invader in history. They got it right but misinterpreted the consequences.

    The date 13.0.0.0.0; Tzolkin: 4 Ahau; Haab: 3 Kankin; Night Lord: 9 is the solstice after the second transit (in 8 years after the final venus transit - starting now) represents the end of the Mayan calendar. This is very much based on this date. Just FYI for all you astronomy buffs. The meso-american astronomy is only out by ~40s on predications of the moons movement over 1000 years. Pretty damn good if you don't have an electronic computer.

    Me - personally - during the transit? - Well grabbing a few license agreements & EULAs from some avaricious megalomaniac software companies. Applying libations (personally), and rendering such agreement to ashes. Reading out the voodoo driver source - maybe..

    Burning a few black candles protectively around my favorite distro. Imagining said companies tied to a stone altar and having their _hearts_ ripped out.

    Sorry 'bout the chest pains in Utah.. Personal responsibility as to what boards you belong to and what your company does.

    Never mess with heavy geeks software & hippies that have played with too much DnD. It doesn't take to try to steal the software they have written. You don't have to be killed too many times by The Great Gygax, 25th level warrior-mage with the sword of soul stealing to believe in magic.

    Magic is way more tangible and believable than some current legal proceeding...

    The 2012 EOW websites have way more twisted and sustainable logic than the 2K EOW ones, proficient. http://www.diagnosis2012.co.uk.

    Enjoy June 8, 2004 05:13