LtE in CMO #289

From  Silvia J KOWOLLIK



® . . . . . . . . .Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2004 01:17:15 +0100

Subject: Cooperation Venus Transit?

 

Dear Masatsugu,

 

Could you help me finding an cooperation partner for observing the Venus Transit this year?   

I know, that sun is close to the horizon in Japan at first contact, but I need different stations around the world, so my youth group can calculate the distance.

 

Until now, I have only 1 positive answer from South Africa, and I am looking for more observing stations...

 

Best wishes

 

® . . . . . . . . .Date: Sat, 06 Mar 2004 19:09:10 +0100

Subject: Re: Cooperation Venustransit?

 

Dear Masatsugu,

 

> Thank you for your inquiry (about some possible cooperated observation of

> the Venus Transit). The first contact occurs here around 14:12 JST (local

> time), and therefore the 3rd and 4th contacts cannot be seen from here.

 

ok, then it makes no sense to calculate the distance to Sun. We need the Times of all 4 Contacts for that. But we can calculate Earth Diameter with the times of fist and second Contact + Coordinates of the Telescope. That can be done by the younger one kids...

 

> 14:12 JST=5:12 GMT. Your place seems to be 2 hours ahead Greenwich, and

> so it implies around 7:12 local time when the Sun may be too low?

 

we have free horizon to eastern, so it will be no Problem, the sun is about 2 hours over the horizon here at first contact...

 

> Anyway much attention to the first contact and the problem of black drop

> around the second contact will be paid here, and if you or your youth

> group want to cooperate, I will look for some candidates.

 

that would be great! Yes, we will also look for the "Drop-Phenomena"...

 

> So I would be thankful if you could send us a more concrete plan.

> If it is a printed paper (if in Deutsch), please send it to my address

>

> Dr. Masatsugu MINAMI,

> 3-6-74 Midori-ga-Oka, Mikuni, Fukui Prefecture, 913-0048 Japan

 

We are looking for partners all over the world, so I will translate our Paper into English. This needs some time.

 

> I will join the OAA Meeting at Nagasaki which will be held on 24 and 25

> April, and so there I may directly contact some persons. Nagasaki is the

> place where the American and French expedition troops made camps in 1874

> to observe the Venus Transit.

 

You will get the paper early enough. Last week I showed a Film about the different expeditions and how the Astronomers calculated the distance. The kids are very excited about the chance, to see the Transit and do that historic calculation...

 

> I should like to write in advance some problems that are annoying here:

> 1)  8 June is inside the rainy season here, and it is not probable for us

> to be able to observe fully.

 

We have no “rainy season”, but weather is also a problem to us! Last year at Mercury Transit we had thick fog in the morning, and at the particular eclipse we had clouds the first 10 minutes...

 

> 2) A lot of observatories here will try to point their telescopes to

> Venus, while I suppose there will be only a few observatories that

> intend to make real observation. Mostly open to the public, and no

> true observation may be done.

 

In Stuttgart it will be the same. We open for public and visitors can look through all 3 huge Teleskopes, which we use normally for observing Stars and Planets as well as our 2 Binoculars. But I hope, that at the 4th Telescope and Video camera will be adapted and so we can record the event.

 

This is the reason, why we are looking for some single Persons observing the Sun, private Observers maybe can record with a Voice recorder or by a Camcorder with tone for time signal...

 

I will observe the Transit with my youth group 120 km away from Stuttgart on a region called "Schwäische Alb", that’s an limestone highland with better seeing conditions and good view to all directions. We also will record the time signal with a camcorder...

 

> 3) A lot of amateurs will move to more westward countries just to

> take pictures with smaller telescopes.

 

I also try to take pictures with low Equipment.

 

>  By these reasons, I am afraid it may be difficult to find any

> appropriate observatory to cooperate with your youth group.

 

I know, it will be not easy, thanks for your offer to help.

 

Best wishes,

 


Silvia KOWOLLIK (Stuttgart, Germany)


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