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You are here: Transit of Venus: June 6, 2012: Brief facts about the transit

Brief facts about the transit


Times are valid for Tromsø (but will not vary much in Norway when Sun is visible):
First contact: 00.04.27
Second contact: 00.22.10
Maximum (Venus closest to the center of the solar disk): 03.29.05
Third contact: 06.35.59
Fourth contact: 06.53.34

Previous transit of Venus: 2004 and 1882 (none in the 20. century)

Last transits visible from Norway:  1769 (Northern Norway only) and 2004
Last transits visible in Southern Norway:  1761 and 2004
Next transit of Venus: 2117
Number of observed transits of Venus so far: 6, the first one in 1639. 
Angular diameter of Venus:  58" (arc seconds) = 0.016 degrees
Distance from Earth to Venus:  0.288851 AU = 43,2 million km
During the transit Venus will be the nearest planet observed by humans!
Average orbital velocity of Venus:  35.02 km/s = 126 000 kph
Average orbital velocity of Earth:  29.79 km/s = 107 000 kph

Angular diameter of Sun:  32' (arc minutes) = 0.53 degrees = 1920" (arc seconds)
Distance to the Sun:  1.0147 AU = 151.8 million km

The reason why transits of Venus are rare:  The orbit of Venus is inclined 3,4 degrees relative to the orbit of the Earth. Venus usually passes below or above the Sun when passing between the Earth and the Sun. A transit is only possible when Venus is situated close to the point of interception with the orbit of the Earth.

The blackest object we have observed: During the transit Venus will be the blackest object that we have ever seen! The night side of Venus is not emitting visible light. The contrast to the very bright solar disk will be extreme!

The easiest ways to observe the transit:
- Using eclipse shades
- Projection with a special telescope
- Live webcast astro.viten.no

Find more information about Venus on " The Eight Planets"


MORE INFORMATION

Major celestial events in Norway 2010-2015

Transit of Venus 2012

Vårt magiske univers: Norwegian movie about space

Magnificent images, movies accompanied by majestic music.

Extensive Norwegian DVD about space and eclipses.

Separate tracks about the eclipses in Norway in 1954, Turkey in 2006, the Arctic in 2008 and China in 2009.

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Contact: Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard, PO. Box 1029 Blindern, NO-0315 Oslo, NorwayPhone: (47) 992 77 172 E-mail: knutjo@astro.uio.no