Next message: Kieran Kelly: "Re: My View of the Transit of Venus"
It has been drought here in southern NSW, Australia. Total of 40mm of rain in the last 6 months, crystal clear days and nights, week after week as we slip into winter.
Today, low cloud, building and breaking during the day. The transit commenced around 3.14.33pm local time (EST)....heavy cloud blocked all view.
Intermittent rays of sunshine for the next hour and a bit. Teasing.
Then at around 4.20pm, the clouds around the sun cleared for a little less than 5 minutes. Only time enough to take in the phenomena. An absolutely brilliant view of the transit through my sextant telescope and shades. While I had looked at animations of the transit, I had not expected the shape of venus to be so "definite" on the sun's surface.
At 4.30 the sun disappeared completely behind clouds and then the local hills.
So, how did others fare?
Lee Martin
