Victorian Pantry in Granger, IN, unveiled Black Drop Effect Bistro Coffee, its contribution to the 2012 transit of Venus celebration. The very dark coffee pays homage to the famous black drop effect, a visual anomaly when circular Venus appears to elongate like a drop when it is near the inner edge of the sun.  Astronomers attempting to gauge the instant when Venus just "touches" the solar limb have been confounded for centuries by this ill-timed quirk. 

Chef and restaurant owner Steve Stogdill roasted Black Drop Effect Bistro Coffee to be "characterized by high grade beans, heavy body, and low acid with a special finish on your palate." Living up to its name, the coffee is very dark, yet Stogdill notes, "Dark coffee does not need to be bitter, and this proves that." 

In 1999 the TRACE spacecraft imaged a transit of Mercury, from which astronomers determined the black drop effect is not a function of atmosphere but more a function of the telescope optics and of solar limb darkening. See the black drop effect FAQ.

The Black Drop Effect Bistro Coffee label pays tribute to the stained glass window of St. Michael's Church in Hoole, England, where Jeremiah Horrocks first recorded a transit of Venus in 1639.  In subsequent centuries the church has commemorated the historic sighting and Horrock's character with architectural details such as the stained glass windows.  Each pane is filled with an image related to the transit of Venus.  The text within the banner, Come Sip or Ship, invites patrons to enjoy the coffee at Victorian Pantry or to purchase the coffee and have it shipped. 

An 11-ounce foil pouch of coffee, whether whole bean or ground, costs $11.99 USD plus shipping.  To place an order, email Chef Steve at CLOAKING .  

Looking to maximize your transit of Venus experience in the United States?  Then get a cushy seat on the Transit of Venus Tour of highlights in Indiana and Michigan on June 5, 2012. Not only will the tour complement telescope time during three hours of the solar spectacle's visibility, it also is a stand-alone winner if cloudy weather prevails that afternoon.  The June 5 itinerary includes the following attractions:

• Full dome digital video about the transit of Venus.
• Personal introduction to Transit of Venus and safe viewing techniques.
• Transit of Venus in Pastel art exhibit.
• Historical artifacts on display, with emphasis on USNO expedition photographer from Indiana.
• Live program at Notre Dame Digital Visualization Theater.
• NASA webcast from Hawaii.
  
• Telescope observing of first and second contacts of Venus against the sun.
• Sunset with the transit underway, while overlooking beautiful Lake Michigan.
• TROVE Art Exhibit
• Venusian ale at The Livery microbrewery
• Transit of Venus send-off party with live music and camaraderie of ToV enthusiasts.
• Round-trip transportation on exclusive motor coach.

Tour is limited to 36 adventurers, and seats are filling up.  The trip includes box lunch, solar shades, gratuities, Signal Travel escort, and some transit of Venus goodies.  Cost is $80.00 per person, with an early bird special if you book by May 1, 2012.  See details and sign up now at http://www.signaltravel.com/groups/pdf/venus2012.pdf.  You may also contact Signal Travel at 1-800-811-1522 or visit http://www.signaltravel.com/groups/.

Fine Print:

Viewing the sun without proper equipment and/or techniques can result in serious eye injury and blindness.  The solar observing descriptions and comments listed in this website are not an endorsement of any particular technique or product.  Observers are responsible for their own eye safety.  This website accepts no responsibility for the conduct of others in viewing the sun.

For definitive advise on observing the sun, see Viewing the Transit & Eye Safety, by Dr. B. Ralph Chou, at http://www.transitofvenus.org/june2012/eye-safety/280-viewing-the-transit-eye-safety.

"It is never safe to look at the sun without proper eye protection.  No filter should be used with an optical device (e.g. binoculars, telescope, camera) unless that filter has been specifically designed for that purpose and is mounted at the front end (i.e., end towards the Sun). Unsafe filters include all color film, black-and-white film that contains no silver, photographic negatives with images on them (x-rays and snapshots), smoked glass, sunglasses (single or multiple pairs), photographic neutral density filters and polarizing filters, computer disk media. Most of these transmit high levels of invisible infrared radiation which can cause a thermal retinal burn.  The fact that the Sun appears dim, or that you feel no discomfort when looking at the Sun through the filter, is no guarantee that your eyes are safe.  A person with eye damage from improper viewing may not notice the damage until hours later."

http://www.leaderdog.org/
For observers who refuse to view the sun safely--Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester, Michigan.

Join the Hunt for Treasure!

Collect 10 keywords and earn solar shades for your whole family!

[Note: though the opportunity to get free solar shades ended May 31, artifacts remain on display until after the June 5 transit of Venus.  See TROVE Adventure map for the list of sites.]

View TROVE Adventure in a larger map with list of sites

Here are the treasure hunting tools you need to find Keywords at each site:

1. Map of the TROVE Adventure treasure hunting grounds in Michiana:
   http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=215418242007555476727.0004bc9e436b7aacefa6c
2. List of participating TROVE Adventure sites with space for you to write each Keyword.
3. List of questions that can be answered from clues at the sites.

Good luck, treasure seekers!