Where to Be

Where to Be (and When)

QUICK TIP:  For date and times of the transit of Venus itself at your location, see Local Transit Times.  For an interactive map showing events near you, see NASA Sun-Earth Day Event Locations.
Location, location, location.

Whether and when you can see the 2012 transit of Venus depends on your location.  Key highlights include the four "contacts" near the beginning and end of the transit when Venus appears to touch the edge of the sun.  Most of North America sees the beginning of the transit in the afternoon and evening (find a clear western horizon!) on June 5, whereas much of Eurasia sees the end of the transit in the morning (find a clear eastern horizon!) on June 6.

Click to access and enlarge PDF version of map showing visibility of 2012 transit of Venus.  Courtesy of Fred Espenak (NASA GSFC), who provides additional transit of Venus data from NASA.

Global map showing visibility of 2012 transit of Venus

To see an animation of how the sun appears at Region X, near Iceland, see http://youtu.be/3b7a_zXMnnU.

Time is of the EssencePath of 2012 transit of Venus across sun

The diagram (click for enlarged PDF version) shows the path of Venus across the sun and the contact times from an earth-centered perspective.  However, from different locations on earth, the exact contact times vary by minutes or seconds.  That slight difference in times is the essence of a transit's value, for it allowed astronomers to calculate the size of the solar system.  The entire event takes about 6 hours 40 minutes.  The times in the diagram are in Universal Time, or essentially Greenwich Time. 

For simplicity, visit http://www.transitofvenus.nl/details.html, or select a nearby city from one of the Links: Where to Be.


So, is the transit of Venus visible June 5 or June 6?

It depends on your time zone.  Generally, for the Americas where it is visible (blue colors on map below) the 2012 transit occurs the evening of Tuesday, June 5, 2012.  For Eurasia and Africa where it is visible (sage colors on map), the latter part of the transit is seen the morning of June 6, 2012.  Map courtesy of Steven van Roode.

Map distinguishes between June 5 and June 6 for visibility of 2012 transit of Venus

[Note: Some confusion may arise from published tables with a title stating the 2012 transit of Venus is on June 6.  By default, these tables are titled by the mid-transit point in Universal Time.  Because the middle of the transit occurs just after midnight on June 6 in Greenwich Time (even though it's not visible then in Greenwich), the title nonetheless affirms June 6. ]

 

Links: Where to Be

Last Updated on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:17
Recommended: Transit of Venus Projecthttp://transitofvenus.nl/wp/where-when/local-transit-times/
Excellent site automatically calculates your local circumstances (time of sunrise, time of sunset, times of all four contacts, altitude of the sun, etc.), based on your Internet connection.  You can easily modify your location with a provided Google map.  From Steven van Roode.

http://www.transitofvenus.nl/transit_venus_2012_ingress.jpg
World map of ingress times (contacts 1 & 2).

http://www.transitofvenus.nl/transit_venus_2012_egress.jpg
World map of egress times (contacts 3 & 4).

Map of Sun-Earth Day Event Locatins

http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2012/about/event_locations.php
Interactive map shows NASA Sun-Earth Day Event Locations, keeping you up to date on what's happening in your neighborhood. Upload your own events here, too.

Logo for TROVE: TRansit of Venus

http://www.transitofvenus.org/trove
TROVE: Celebrating the Riches of the TRansit Of VEnus. The Michiana area near the Michigan-Indiana, USA, border is a hub of activity related to the transit of Venus.  Join us to celebrate the math, science, and art of this celestial phenomenon.

Global map of 2012 transit of Venus visibilityhttp://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/transit/venus0412.html:
"The global visibility of the 2012 transit is illustrated with the world map... The entire transit (all four contacts) is visible from northwestern North America, Hawaii, the western Pacific, northern Asia, Japan, Korea, eastern China, Philippines, eastern Australia, and New Zealand. The Sun sets while the transit is still in progress from most of North America, the Caribbean, and northwest South America. Similarly, the transit is already in progress at sunrise for observers in central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and eastern Africa. No portion of the transit will be visible from Portugal or southern Spain, western Africa, and the southeastern 2/3 of South America."  Courtesy of Fred Espenak.

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/transit/venus/city12-1.html
Contact times (Universal Time) and corresponding altitudes of the Sun for 121 international cities.  From Fred Espenak.

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/transit/venus/city12-2.html
Contact times (Universal Time) and corresponding altitudes of the Sun for 60 cities in the USA.  To convert to Daylight Saving Time, subtract 4 hours if you are in Eastern Time Zone; subtract 5 hours in Central Time Zone; subtract 6 hours in Mountain Time Zone; subtract 7 hours in Pacific Time Zone.  From Fred Espenak.

2012 Transit of Venus global visibility map, by Michael Zeiler http://eclipse-maps.com/Eclipse-Maps/Transits_files/ToV2012map_1.jpg
Global map by Michael Zeiler depicts the zones of visibility for the 2012 transit of Venus. 

USNO logohttp://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/upcom-transits/?sear
World map of visibility; General description, geocentric data, and list of ingress/egress times for major world cities (PDF).  From US Naval Observatory.

HM Nautical Almanac Office diagram of 2012 transit of Venushttp://www.hmnao.com/nao/transit/V_2012/index.html
Local circumstances of the 2012 transit of Venus for observers in the United Kingdom.  From HM Nautical Almanac Office.

Global map of 2012 transit of Venus by Richard ProctorWorld visibility map of 2012 transit of Venus; from A Popular Account of Past and Coming Transits, by Richard Proctor; 1882.

http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/2010/12/03/2012-transit-of-venus-plans/#from-the-transit-of-venus-project-group
Tolaga Bay – Uawa will host international celebrations for the Transit of Venus in June 2012.

http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/2011/transit-of-venus/
Sydney Observatory will have special programs available on 6 June 2012.


 

Harris Branch Library Hosts Art and Artifacts

Last Updated on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:37
Sign for Harris Branch Public Library, 51446 Elm RoadHarris Branch Library approachThe Harris Branch Library at 51446 Elm Road in Granger, IN, will be the site of two special events leading up to the 2012 transit of Venus. 

From May 1 to June 9, 2012, the Northern Indiana Pastel Society will coordinate an art exhibit by its members that features the transit of Venus and the curious realm of exo-planets.  The call for art invites members to use ideas such as Venus, planets, sun, moon, stars, space, sky, sunset, new worlds, habitable planets or related themes.

Concurrently, the exhibit cases flanking the library entrance foyer will house historical artifacts from previous transits of Venus, including original contents from the US Naval Observatory (USNO) expeditions. 

The two events support a collection of transit of Venus attractions, known as TROVE, in the Michiana region.  Plan a visit to to this and other TROVE sites for a complete transit of Venus experience. 

For the location, contact information, and hours of operation, see the Harris Branch at http://www.mphpl.org/newSite/general/contact_branch.html. 

View Mishawaka - Penn - Harris Public Library in a larger map
   

Plan a Community Celebration

Last Updated on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:34

Woman observes the 2004 Transit of Venus through a telescope.Party like it's 2012! 

If you are hosting a Transit of Venus celebration, here are some items to consider.  See the 2004 Celebration in Mishawaka, IN, for scenes of an observing site. 

Months before:
  • Scout out event sites, with consideration given to unobstructed sight-lines, security, parking, restroom availability, electricity, internet access, and absence of lights with glare (for telescope viewing later that night). 
  • Secure permission from landowner or government entity to conduct event at that site. 
  • Get approval for tents or trailers to be set up adjacent to or near scopes, especially for telescope owners who come from afar.
  • Invite amateur astronomers with telescopes and solar filters to set up their scopes for public viewing. Ask them to stay beyond twilight for stargazing session and planet-viewing (Mars and Saturn).
  • Invite local musicians or school bands to perform John Phillip Sousa's Transit of Venus March or other ToV music.
  • Put out a call for Transit of Venus art through a local art organization or advocate.  
  • Purchase solar viewing equipment, whether simple or major.  Realize that with just solar shades, Venus is small--near the limit (about a minute of arc) of what the human eye can discern.  Don't wait for last minute when supplies are hard to get.

    Read more: Plan a Community Celebration

 

Night of the Transit

Planets emerging at sunset on June 5, 2012, after the transit of VenusPerhaps you just watched the 2012 transit of Venus until the sun set on the western horizon.  What a spectacle!  Savor the moment as if it were a fine meal, for a tasty dessert is about to follow.  As sunset segues into twilight, planets are about to emerge in the western sky.  Since your telescope is already set up and an eager crowd has gathered, seize this opportunity to share a view of ruddy Mars, graceful Saturn, and other celestial highlights. 

Because it is so near the sun (which set around 9:15 p.m. daylight time for mid-northern latitudes), Mercury is lost in the evening glare (shown).  By 10:00 p.m., Saturn is readily apparent as it hovers above the star Spica in the constellation Virgo.  Mars looms to the right at the same brightness, magnitude=0.6. 

Saturn with labeled moons for June 5, 2012When darkness deepens, marvel at the ever-inspiring rings of Saturn, a vast yet ultra-thin disk of ice particles encircling the planet.  The ringed planet is inclined more than two degrees, and several of its moons are visible in modest telescopes, simulated at left.
(click to enlarge)

As the hours pass and night settles in, the splendor of the summer constellations take center stage. 

Read more: Night of the Transit

   

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