Political figures can extol the virtues of science and math education in speech, or they can step up and lead by example.  In preparation for the 2012 transit of Venus, I invite our elected leaders to participate actively in the Transit of Venus experience. 

Below is a letter sent to the White House in mid-November, 2010, via http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact. I encourage you to write comparable invitations to your own political representatives, such as state governors and regional officials, to share your enthusiasm for using the transit of Venus as an opportunity to promote education. 

Dear President Obama,

I write to invite you and the First Family to lead the nation in science education through your active participation in a rare celestial event occurring June 5, 2012. On that day, observers in North America will be well positioned to witness a Transit of Venus, in which the planet Venus can be seen passing directly in front of the sun. 

Specifically, I request that you observe the phenomenon through a filtered telescope, record the time when Venus touches the inside edge of the sun, and contribute your observation to a global experiment through a simple phone app.  This will be the last transit of Venus in our lifetimes.

While the transit is best known for its historical significance in determining the size of the solar system, in the modern era it retains great appeal with the public.  Consider that Google's Zeitgeist feature deemed the last transit of Venus to be the #1 Most Popular Event in the world for the entire month of June 2004.   In 2012 it will be well positioned as an evening apparition, as seen from Washington, D.C. 

Astronomer Edmond Halley determined that one can mathematically determine the distance to the sun and the size of the solar system by timing the duration of the transit of Venus from locations around the globe.  This inspired nations to send out great expeditions in a display of international unity to answer a key question of the day.  In 2012, new tools like a phone app will be used to allow citizens from around the world to engage in a similar quest.

The transit of Venus, whose history is laden with compelling stories about the pursuits of dedicated scientists, is one of those elegant moments that shows how we learn some of the fundamental understandings of nature, such as our place in the cosmos.  It introduces well the modern efforts to further our understanding, such as the NASA Kepler mission to find habitable planets around other stars using the transit method. 

See www.transitofvenus.org for more details about this celestial phenomenon.  A group of key players are beginning to prepare public outreach in anticipation of the 2012 spectacle.  I invite you to direct your staff to contact me if you foresee possible leadership from this Administration through brief but active participation in the 2012 transit of Venus.  I trust you would want to be involved in a natural phenomenon that has proven to have so much cachet with the general public.

Thank you for your consideration.

Chuck Bueter