This article was written prior to the 2004 transit of Venus for an audience of planetarians.

Regardless of the joy, strife, or uncertainty in the world, one thing is absolute— on June 8, 2004, Venus will pass directly between the sun and earth.  For good reason, Edmond Halley declared, "This sight...is by far the noblest astronomy affords."  With the transit of Venus comes an opportunity to witness nothing less than how we came to understand our place in the cosmos.  So how do we as planetarians respond?

I propose we act globally.  Celebrate the transit for its historic role in quantifying the size of the solar system.  Participate in Internet observing programs to calculate the Astronomical Unit.  Recognize traits from past transits that have parallels in the modern world as well as new opportunities in 2004 that did not exist in previous eras.  Illustrate how transits are yielding new discoveries around distant worlds.  And embrace the June event as a global educational party.     

Promoting astronomy has become an exercise in marketing, and with it comes the creep toward hyperbole.  On the verge of crying “Wolf!” we feel compelled to tout the rarity, the big numbers, the discovery, or the grandeur of our favorite celestial phenomenon at the risk of jading our audience.  While transit of Venus advocates are guilty of such charges, I as a defendant believe the enthusiasm is justified.  
Though the transit of Venus merits time in the sun, as it were, we planetarians have a few hurdles in presenting the transit to the public. First, many of us admittedly are not well versed in the transit’s historic significance.  I credit Richard Pogge for awakening me to the drama.  After reading Pogge’s account of the 18th century travails of LeGentil, Chappe, and Hell, one could readily understand Pingre’s concession, “Liquor gives us the necessary strength for determining the distance of the Earth from the Sun.”  Alcohol aside, the transit of Venus features stories of people whose dedication to a scientific endeavor parallels Captain Ahab’s monomaniacal pursuit of the great white whale.  Each is an epic, waiting to be told.

Second, until recently many of us did not have a planetarium show or accompanying educational material readily available to support a transit of Venus program, a forgivable shortcoming considering the rarity of the event.  If, say, a brilliant comet were to emerge from the light polluted sky, most planetarians could dust off a comet show or deftly cobble together a coherent comet package.  Now, however, a new set of resources (see the attached article) is available through the Great Lakes Planetarium Association.

Third, many people disengage from solar astronomy because of the fear (much of it legal) of viewing the sun.  While nations propose the daunting task of sending humans to Mars, back home people cower at the prospect of school children gazing safely at the sun.  Rather than retreat, we ought to move forward with military zeal, literally.  More on that later.

Fourth, some people rightly claim the transit of Venus is “just a dot,” lacking the visual spectacle and ease of a televised sporting event.  True, until the story is presented in the context of humanity’s quest to understand our place in space.  Though the transit of Venus yields the vast distances to the sun and other planets, when I see Venus passing in front of the sun I expect to be equally amazed by the enormousnous of our star Sol.  Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, a celestial spectacle that earned comparable attention, also manifested itself to casual observers as tiny black dots on a small sphere.

I appeal to the planetarium community to jump these hurdles.  For starters, peruse www.transitofvenus.org to find aspects of the transit that appeal to you.  You may have to dig around a bit, but you will probably find it is easier to launch your search from the “Site Map” page than from Google.  If you come across relevant material elsewhere, please send it to me for inclusion, for more resources are becoming available as the upcoming transit nears.  The National Aeronautic Space Agency (NASA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in particular are building extensive support for observers and educators.

Be international.  In the 18th and 19th century quests to refine the Astronomical Unit, hearty expeditions ventured to India, South Africa, Tahiti, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Siberia, Mexico, and elsewhere.  Only through the cooperative effort of many nations could the leading scientific question of the day be tackled.  Please, revisit that global zeal.  For example, you could instruct visitors and students on how to time the internal contacts of Venus with the sun.  They can then submit their observed time with their known latitude and longitude to several of the parties gathering international data to “recalculate” the distance to the sun.

The public’s reaction to the transit of Venus likely depends on their expectations and whether the transit is picked up by the press.   Consider the recent proximity of Mars, which was very much a convenient numbers game.  Expectations were high, but the planet delivered.  Thousands of people stood in long lines to experience a supposedly unparalleled view of the Red Planet.  Visually, Mars was a newsworthy community happening.  

Adding fuel to the Mars mania was its alluring history, such as the interpretations of observed Martian features.  Meanwhile, a small fleet of spacecraft were zooming toward the Martian surface, seeking the exo-earth stuff that appeals to humans most—life.  All in all, it was a nicely packaged event that deservedly earned a lot of press.

The transit of Venus will likely appeal to modern audiences, because it both has common traits with past transits and has unique opportunities in the modern era.  The table below suggests a few defining features from the past five observed transits that have 21st century applications:
 

Feature	Historic Example	2004 Application
New technology propels the quest for scientific understanding	(1639)   Jeremiah Horrocks projects a magnified image of Venus with a young telescope to record the planet’s size.	Astronomers use spacecraft and adaptive optics to detect earth-class planets transiting distant stars in the search for habitable planets.
Despite international tensions, nations cooperate to gain understanding of celestial phenomenon.	(1761)   During the Seven Years War, nations allow the passage of observers in a cooperative endeavor by the international scientific community.	Students across the earth time the transit of Venus and contribute their local data to global observing projects.  International leaders share the experience.
Nationalism and the prospect of material gain yield financial support for transit expeditions.	(1769) Governments seeking new resources and navigational supremacy justify expensive expeditions to distant lands.	The transit represents an educational opportunity in multiple disciplines, though it remains to be seen how well it will be financially supported.
The sheer rarity of the event generates press coverage and intrigues the public.	(1882 ?) Wall Street reportedly closes and curious people across the earth look at the sun through smoked glass.	The “rarity  card” will likely generate interest.  The quirks of modern media and old-fashioned politics sway the tide. Solar shades and protective optics avail the sight  to the wider public.
The predictability of the transit is trumpeted both as a triumph of science and as a prophecy realized.	(1874) In Hawaii, James Cook is revered for having predicted the transit over a century prior; he is also  touted as a prophet for his accuracy.	The predicted transit times are impressively accurate; yet some parties impart significance to the event for non-scientific reasons.

In addition to having past features that are relevant today, the 2004 transit offers new opportunities that have not been possible previously.  For example, this will be the first  transit of Venus in the history of the modern planetarium.  No baby food jars, first used commercially in 1931, have been ingeniously transformed into ToV special effect projectors.  For planetarians, sky shows with mind-bending astronomy often break the repetition of the teacher-requested solar system programs.  This time, the newsworthy event is an unprecedented, visible dance of the solar system waiting to be introduced in the dome.  

For the first time* (excluding the halo seen since Mikhail Lomonosov in 1761), we can extend the transit of Venus beyond the photosphere and into the chromosphere. Satellites and amateurs with hydrogen alpha filters will try to discern Venus beyond the confines of the visible solar disk.  At the inaugural “Contact Zero” the planet will emerge from the filtered darkness, and at equally inexact “Contact Five” the new-phase Venus will slip back into darkness for eight more years.  [*Correction:  This fails to acknowledge the spectroscopic views of Venus in the chromosphere during 19th century transits, such as by George Tupman in 1874.  See The Transits of Venus by William Sheehan and John Westfall, Prometheus Books. 02-03-04]

Technology gives us an unprecedented advantage in education.  Internet observing projects bring the endeavor of timing a transit—formerly the domain of select explorers in grand expeditions—to the intimacy of individual communities.  Students and visitors become the explorers, contributing valuable data to the 2004 global effort.

New in recent years is the detection of dozens of planets orbiting distant stars.  The June 8th event introduces the public to the means by which astronomers investigate the galaxy.  NASA’s Kepler mission and Navigator program, for instance, seek new worlds capable of sustaining life—all from the fingerprint of a transit.  On June 8, 2004, we are privileged to have a front row seat to the phenomenon.

Perhaps a planetarian will initiate some whimsical history.  Considering the average life span today, and anticipating longer life spans in the future, we have the chance of setting someone on their way to seeing more than two transits in a lifetime.  If a youth destined for longevity were to glimpse her first transit in 2004, then she may have a chance at seeing transit numbers 4 and 5 in the 22nd century.  But it can only happen if we embrace youth and encourage them to take a safe peek.

Transits, like all astronomical events, occur within the context of social considerations as well.  Nationalism, material gain, and politics affect the level of participation by nations and their leaders.  This one is no different.  I propose the planetarium community invite our respective leaders to witness this historic event.  Where will leaders of the world be June 8, and what will they do?

Tuesday morning, June 8, some of them will be gathering on the east coast of the United States for a meeting of the Group of Eight.  If a total solar eclipse—a relatively common event—were to be visible overhead, do you think any of them would look?  The irony is that leaders of G-8 countries will be visiting the States, where the transit is underway at sunrise, while astronomy enthusiasts from the Americas are flocking overseas to the zone of total visibility to see the transit in its entirety.  

The organizers of the G8 meeting are aware that the transit is forthcoming (albeit hours before the meeting officially opens), and the requisite media and protesters will be gathered in nearby Savannah, Georgia.   Whether summit organizers provide a means to view the transit is dependent on demand and foresight.  I encourage planetarians around the world to ask their political leaders to share the transit experience with their countrymen back home.

At the risk of being political I propose we take it a step further.  When the transit’s zone of visibility is correlated with the area with the highest percentage of clear skies, an interesting map of preferred viewing sites emerges.  Data from meteorologist Jay Anderson suggest the best areas for viewing the 2004 transit of Venus are Riyadh, Kuwait City, Kabul, and Baghdad.  

At the same time, one of the largest collections of scopes under the ownership of one entity is spread throughout the region—namely, gun scopes.  It would be another casualty of war if people who are in the ideal viewing area are denied an opportunity to view this rare sight.  Some of the earliest records of Venus (circa 16th century BC) were found near modern-day Mosul, Iraq.  The military personnel deployed in the region as well as the civilians with whom they interact might welcome the respite.

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I could be wrong.  This whole transit thing could be perceived as a meager event, with my being guilty of hyperbole.  Call me Ahab.  But I am hoping otherwise.  I plan on making my stand in my own community, where we will only see the final hour of the transit after sunrise, provided the weather cooperates.  If you are not convinced that the transit merits an organized program at your facility, you are certainly welcome to join us in South Bend, Indiana, USA.  Please bring your telescope and a zeal to share the experience with the gathered public.

If we are going to get to Mars, I suppose it’s nice to know how far away it is.  After the transit, I plan on raising a glass to well-known and nameless explorers alike who contributed to our understanding of the size of the solar system.  Some people are driven by rare feature events, like a transit; others delight in the commonplace, like a sunrise.  From our Great Lakes site the 2004 transit of Venus satisfies both audiences.  And if it rains…well, there’s always the story of LeGentil.

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The transit of Venus is a great story, and great stories make great planetarium experiences.  Art Klinger, director of the PHM Planetarium & Air/Space Museum in Mishawaka, Indiana, USA, and I secured a Toyota TAPESTRY grant to encourage transit of Venus storytelling.  Concurrent with Christopher Reed’s call for “repurposing” (Planetarian, September 2003, pp. 7-9), we bundled the resources into a package for the planetarium community and other users.     The Great Lakes Planetarium Association is distributing the resultant Transit of Venus DVD and data-CD set for $15.00 USD.  Details—including thumbnails, script, credits, order form, and links—are at http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/transit.htm.  See Jim Manning’s “What’s New” column in the March 2004 issue of the Planetarian for a review. The DVD can be used as the basis of a planetarium show, in whole or in part, for it is divided into chapters to allow planetarians to tailor the show to their expected audiences or needs.  The DVD is equally useful as a tutorial for staff, teachers, or transit of Venus newbies.  The data CD includes over 200 images excerpted from the DVD for use in live shows, lectures, press releases, or other applications.    Use the material as you see fit.  We ask that you please share with other planetarians your innovative way to use the resources and the star projector in your facility, for this topic is new to the entire planetarium community.   In the sprint to get the collection of images to planetarians in time for the transit, we had no time for formative evaluations and other pleasantries.  Surely there are shortcomings to be found, maligned, and corrected.  The Transit of Venus program’s website will list errata as you send them, which were inevitable in the haste to put out new material by a deadline set by the inexorable march of the planets.  Ready or not, here Venus comes.