Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Venus Transit Finished

Posted by michael on from the all-summer-in-a-day dept.

KjetilK writes "Venus is just about to cross the solar disc. Direct from the control room in the Frogner Park in Oslo, I'm pleased to inform you that we have a great webcast, and as far as we know, it is the only webcast that still stands upright... Slashdotters, do your worst! ;-) A Venus transit is one of the most unique astronomical events in our time, in fact, no living person has witnessed it before today. And today, more people have seen it from the park where I'm sitting that in the rest of human history. Also, it had tremendous importance for the development of science, as it gave the first absolute measurements of distances in the solar system. Especially in 1769, a transit made science take huge leaps forward. And BTW, New Zealand and Australia were 'discovered' in the process" Some nice photos from the UK, photos from vt-2004.org, and if you missed it, it'll be eight short years till you can try again.

8 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Leigons of small black dots protested the international frenzy over Venus' transit across the Sun by refusing to move across larger, white dots. "We're not getting fair and equal attention!" claimed Period.

  2. Site down so here's an ASCII pic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny



    .)

  3. Not quite finished. by philntc · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can still see it everytime I close my eyes...

  4. Impressive by fiannaFailMan · · Score: 4, Funny

    And as far as I know, no reports of ignorant and supestitious lunatics predicting the end of the world. This is progress. I hope...

    --
    Drill baby drill - on Mars
  5. The great indicator... by D-Cypell · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wasnt aware this was happening until I work this morning and switched on the news.

    It amuses me that any channel that covers these kind of events spends 2% of their times covering the basics of astronomy and why this event is quite rare.

    The other 98% is spent explaining the danger of staring directly at the sun.

    Then... I go to the park to eat my lunch in the sunshine (rare in the UK) only to see hoards of people doing exactly this (or thinking that cheap sunglasses will protect them). Worse is mothers trying to show their kids ("Mummy, mummy, I cant see anything... and my eyes hurt"... "Just keep looking sweety... you will see it when your eyes lose sensativity!").

    So a further warning to slashdotters...

    Dont stare directly at the sun...

    Just get someone else to do it and descibe it to you ;o)

  6. Re:urp. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


    There once was a transit of Venus
    That in the States went quite unseen-us
    But in the UK
    I watched it all day
    And made a sundial of my penis

    (posting AC because I hate to cheat in my limericks. "Unseen-us?" Blech...)

  7. Re:Another article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Uh... everyone knows the sun is exactly 1 AU away... by definition. That was hard! :)

  8. Re:urp. by Threed · · Score: 4, Funny

    There once was a transit of Venus
    Which put that small planet between us
    But you shouldn't stare
    At the solar glare
    'Cause it might shrivel up your... retinas. :)