An exhibit of Transit of Venus artifacts and information is open to the public at the Harris Branch Library in Granger, IN, with a portion of the display offering a glimpse into the US Naval Observatory expeditions from the perspective of Assistant Photographer Irvin Stanley of Indiana.  This is the first of two main exhibits in the region, with a second set of display cases to feature the transit of Venus theme on the campus of Notre Dame.  Concurrently, individual historical artifacts are distributed locally at businesses and institutions as part of the TROVE Adventure treasure hunt.

The display in the left of the foyer as you enter will remain in place through May, whereas the exhibit on the right with the Irvin Stanley content will remain in place through the June 5 transit of Venus.  The library, which also hosts the Transit of Venus in Pastels art exhibit, is one of the stops on the exclusive Transit of Venus motor coach tour on June 5.

Read more: Artifacts at Harris Branch Library in Granger, IN

Planetarians have a key role in advocating for math and science during the 2012 transit of Venus.  The March 2012 issue of Planetarian-Journal of the International Planetarium Society features ideas on how theaters, museums, and domed venues can seize the public's interest in the celestial phenomenon with public outreach.  Five planetarium programs relevant to transits are listed below.

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A four-minute video, the Transit of Venus, is available in both high-resolution flat-screen and full-dome versions.  Created by Patrick McPike and Chuck Bueter, the video introduces the transit of Venus, its historical significance, and modern applications of the transit method in the search for habitable planets around distant worlds. 

Multiple types and sizes of files (right) are available for free download, hosted courtesy of NASA:



[Note: Projector manufacturers have been asked to assist in getting the content to their users, such as by converting the dome master to a format suitable for their respective systems.  The ease of the task is dependent on the systems and their supporting network.  Thanks to those who step up to help distribute the free video.]

Read more: Planetarian

What's in a name?  For Sarrah Brittin, a transit is a serendipitous alignment of Earth, Venus, the sun, dough, cheese, and toppings.  The Pizza Transit restaurant, established by Sarah's father in 1987 and now under her ownership, recently relocated to 215 E. Main St. in Niles, Michigan.  Concurrent with the restaurant's new environment are two new items on the menu: Transit of Venus Pizza and Black Drop Effect Pizza. 

The Transit of Venus Pizza takes on the characteristics of the celestial bodies seen during the transit, highlighted by spicy chorizo sausage, jalapeno peppers, and cheddar cheese.  The Black Drop Effect Pizza is a veggie simulation of the event itself, with spinach punctuated by black olives.  The interim orange logo, adapted by Lisa Taylor of Taylor Design, plays on the original branding for Pizza Transit, shown in blue.

Thanks to Pizza Transit for sharing their enthusiasm for the 2012 transit of Venus and for hosting a gathering of the TROVE planning team, right.  Pizza Transit is also the site for a TROVE Adventure treasure hunt clue.  If you visit Pizza Transit to get your Keyword, be sure to pick up a pizza while you're there. You won't be disappointed.

The Transit of Venus is a 4-minute video in high-resolution soon to be a free download in full-dome video for digital theaters. The mini-show summarizes the history and significance of the transit of Venus while preparing viewers for the June 5-6, 2012, spectacle.  The story segues from Jeremiah Horrocks' first sighting, to expeditions seeking to measure the size of the solar system, to the Kepler spacecraft detecting planets as they transit distant stars.

With animation and video effects by Patrick McPike, Multimedia Artist and Technical Director at the Adler Planetarium, the dome master is readily compatible with full-dome digital theaters.  The original song Morning Star by the band Transit of Venus from New Zealand is also available for free download.  Narrated by Douglas Osthimer.  Written and directed by Chuck Bueter.

• Dome master (coming mid-March)
  
• High-resolution flat screen video
  
• YouTube video with narration
• Song: Morning Star by Transit of Venus
• Text for The Transit of Venus video
  

  Read more: Video: The Transit of Venus

On the evening of December 6, 1882, after the transit of Venus had occurred earlier that day, Pastor George Dana Boardman delivered an eloquent sermon "to unfold and apply a great moral lesson which the transit of Venus suggests and confirms."  On the title page is written:
 

Boardman writes that God expresses His commitment to man and His  promise through the immutable expressions of nature. The predictable movements of planets "testify to the unchangeableness of nature's laws, that is to say, to the veracity of God's covenant of nature." That man can study those laws of nature and eke out predictions like the transit of Venus confirms the certainty of nature, itself a covenant from God.  We cannot break these laws, though they can break us.

Read more: Sermon Suggested by the Transit of Venus