| May 10, 2012


By Fred Barrett

I want to give you plenty of warning for the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun on June 5. This is an extremely rare event. It begins in our area at roughly 6 p.m. EDT and you will be able to witness it until sunset at 8:48 p.m. I witnessed and took pictures through my telescope of the transit eight years ago on June 8, 2004. The transit previous to that one occurred 121½ years before. These transits come in a pair separated by eight years. The first of the next pair of transits won’t happen for 105½ years. That will be December 2117 and December 2125. This transit is a must-see event. Venus can be seen by eye as it enters and moves across the northern portion of the Sun. We will see only a portion of the transit before the Sun sets but that portion lasts more than two hours. A small telescope with a solar filter is the best instrument for viewing but that leads me to caution you that it is very dangerous to view the Sun directly. You can be blinded! Never view the Sun without filter protection. Don’t use sunglasses! Even if you double them up, they provide NO protection. You can get a solar filter for your telescope at an optical or telescope dealer. They also sell Mylar filters or eclipse glasses. You can also use a #14 welder’s filter. Any of these are great for looking at sunspots too and we are entering a peak period for solar activity and sunspots. Be careful! It’s worth the effort to witness this event. It won’t happen again in our lifetimes.

I hope you had a chance to see this year’s largest full Moon on May 5. It was spectacular! It occurs when the Moon is at perigee or its closest approach to Earth in its oval (elliptical) orbit around our planet. It was 14% bigger and 30% brighter than average. Its name is the Full Flower Moon or Corn Planting Moon. The next full Moon is on June 4 and it’s known as the Full Strawberry Moon or Rose Moon in honour of the strawberry harvest season.

Watch for a partial eclipse of the Sun on May 20 at 8:30 p.m. About 10% of the southern portion of the Sun will be blocked.

Venus has been so bright in the south as it heads for its transit on June 5 when it passes between the Earth and the Sun. This is called an inferior conjunction.

Saturn can still be seen in the southeast as night falls. It can be found near the star Spica in the constellation Virgo. Jupiter is behind the Sun right now but will appear in the east at dawn by mid-May. Mars is prominent in the south at sunset and has a lovely red hue.

“The Beginner’s Observing Guide by Leo Enright is an invaluable companion for adventures in the sky. It contains star charts and is available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy. It can also be ordered from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada at www.rasc.ca/publications. A subscription to our very own excellent Canadian astronomy magazine “SkyNews” can be arranged at the RASC website as well.

Let me know how your observing has gone this month, especially anything unusual. I enjoy the feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions you can contact me through this paper or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Clear Skies! Fred.

If you have questions or suggestions, Fred Barrett may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Beginner’s Observer’s Guide by Leo Enright is available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy or by contacting the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada www.rasc.ca/publications, subscriptions for our very own excellent Canadian astronomy magazine, Sky News, are also available from RASC..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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