From: TerryMosel
aol.com
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2004 18:40:41 EDT
Subject: Next Venus Transit, TV tape, S&T etc, BBQ
Hi all,
1. Now that your appetite has been whetted, what are you going to do for the
next one? I know that some people didn't see this one at all, so they'll be
very keen to make sure they don't miss the next one!
Now, don't believe all you read in the papers, or hear on radio / TV. The
next one visible from UK/Ireland WILL be on 6 June 2012 - not in 2247 as some
were saying!
Ok, it will be only partly visible, but it will be visible. Further to a
recent email, I've now done some more detailed calculations. Here are the details.
Mid-transit is at 01h 29m 35s, UT. Duration is 6h 52m 58s. That gives a start
time of 22h 03m 06s (previous day), and end time of 04h 56m 04s.
The Sun rises on the 6th as follows:
Belfast 03h 50m
Dublin 04h 00m
Cork 04h 17m
Galway 04h 11m
L'derry 03h 54m
Fair Head (Co Antrim) 03h 47m.
So, as for the recent Annular Eclipse, the further N & E you are, the better.
But even at Fair Head, most NE part of the Irish mainland, there's only just
over an hour of visibility - less than those figures suggest, in fact, as
'sunrise' is when the uppermost part of the Sun's disc rises - not the centre.
Best place of all in UK would be NE Shetland, where sunrise is at 02h 38m. So
even that's not great. And in SW Ireland, the Sun will be so low that you
mightn't even see 3rd contact.
So where is best?
The Sun will be on the meridian at mid-transit at about longitude 158 deg
East. That's in mid/west Pacific, with Midway Island being nearest land to the
sub-solar point. But anywhere in the Pacific region would do, with the region
from E Japan to Hawaii down to Melanesia being best. Remember that the Sun will
be almost overhead in Midway & Hawaiii for most of the event! Still, Hawaii
sounds quite attractive. But for one or two who went there for a Total Solar
Eclipse some years ago, then maybe not.....
But if your budget doesn't permit travel to such exotic places, take your
chance at Fair Head.
Anyway, if you missed this one, don't despair - only 7 years and 361 days to
go....
2. If anyone taped any of the TV coverage of our IAA event at Botanic
gardens, or my interview on GMTV early that morning, I'd be very grateful for a copy
- payment or replacement tape, of course....
3. Dr Brian O'Halloran of UCD / Dunsink is moving to USA to a postdoc
position at George Mason University in the US (outskirts of DC). He sent me this
"Hi Terry, I wonder if you could help me. I'm looking to get rid of old
Astronomy Nows (pretty much from 1987), Sky & Telescopes (from 1992), and BAA
Journals (from 1990). Those from 1998 onwards are here with me in Dublin, the
rest are down in Tipperary at home. If anyone at the IAA is interested, they can
contact me via email or at the numbers below.
Thanks and all the best. Brian
Dr. Brian O'Halloran, Dunsink Observatory, Castleknock, Dublin 15,
http://www.dunsink.dias.ie/~boh, email: bohdunsink.dias.ie
Tel: +353 1 838 7911, +353 87 6188471 "
4. Next IAA event is our Midsummer BBQ at Armagh Observatory on 26 June. More
details later.
Clear Skies,
Terry Moseley
