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There will be a live webcast of the Transit of Venus on June 8 on the web site http://www.astronomy.no The images will have high quality (much higher quality than most webcasts of celestial phenomena) and they will be transmitted from 4-6 different locations in Norway. We will also webcast images taken with Halpha filters. The webcast will start before first contact, probably just before 05 UTC, and will last until about half an hour after last contact (around 12 a.m. UTC). We have published extensive information about the transit on http://www.astronomy.no This includes descriptions of previous transits, what we may expect to see, how we can watch the phenomenon, press releases, historic information, animations, illustrations, school projects (how to measure the size of the earth and the distance to the Sun) and much, much more. There will be a major national/international festival in the famous Frognerpark in Oslo (an amazing sculpture park). There will also be a live webcast of the eclipse of the Moon on May 4 on http://www.astronomy.no. More information: Knut Jorgen Roed Odegaard The Norwegian Astronautical Society: Spain, Canary Island: Slooh's broadcast format of this event will be the same as our nighttimemissions. However, Slooh's telescopes will be equipped with special,safe, white-light solar filters. Our high magnification scope will providea magnification of 150x, which will show Venus as a large black disk.Slooh's wide field view will show the entire face of the Sun. In addition,sunspots (dark spots on the sun) and plages (light areas on the sun) will bevisible. The most interesting part of the event will be the twenty minutesspanning third and fourth contact. This is when Venus will be emerging offthe edge of the Sun. We especially look forward to seeing the "black drop"effect, during which the silhouette takes on a drop shape, rather than acircular disk. During the transit event, Slooh will post live notesdescribing what is being shown. You will be able to use Slooh''s snapshotfeature to capture your own permanent records of this rare event. As withall Slooh missions, this event will be broadcast live only; there will be no"reruns". Time Event United Kingdom: London, England: June 7, 14.30 GMT June 8, 11.30 GMT June 9, 14.30 GMT June 11, 14.30 GMT For further information see www.nhm.ac.uk/darwincentre/live Middlesbrough, England Rotherham South Yorkshire, England Wales: Uruguay: That same day they will try to organize an observation of the event for everyone interested. Although the Transit occurs very early in the winter morning, they will try to attract many people, because it will be the only Transit of Venus visible in this century (the 2012 Transit won't be visible for them). They plan to share this activity with students and teachers, specially from the Astronomy course and other sciences. January 15- Library Media Specialists w/ ERC Staff Contact: Alabama, Huntsville : You are invited to join us at the ERC, located on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the FREE workshop from 9:00 a.m.- 4-:00 p.m*. Several outstanding presenters have been engaged for this learning event. Among them is astronomer Bill Cooke who will share 'play-by-play commentary' for the on-site, parking lot viewing of the Venus Transit (weather permitting). NASA scientists and engineers will also present data about other celestial events and spacecraft. Attendees will receive a NASA aerospace science resource packet along with our special Transit of Venus Kit, wall sheets, CD-ROMs and other information about NASA resources and programs to supplement the instructional curriculum of the US JROTC program. Additionally, a certificate verifying the amount of in-service hours for the day's experience will be given. Space is limited. Please pre-register early but no later than May 20, 2004. To register for the workshop, please call 256-544-5812, fax information to 256-544-5820, or e-mail toalease.sims@msfc.nasa.gov *Attendance at the 5:30 a.m. Transit of Venus Viewing, Coffee and Donuts is optional. Please bring a folding chair if you choose to attend. A $2.00 donation will be accepted to pay for a pair of special Solar Viewing glasses, coffee and donuts. California, Oakland: Also, on Saturday, March 20, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, Chabot will be running Sun/Sun-Earth/Venus transit activities, solar observing, observing of Venus through a vintage 1883 telescope, and a showing of Solarmax. View the pictures from Sun Earth Day at Chabot For more information contact: bburress@chabotspace.org or go to the website http://www.chabotspace.org/ California, San Diego: California, San Francisco: The Exploratorium will also be hosting a public program from 8:30 - 11:00 p.m. (PST) that will include hands-on activities, Greek dancing, an amazing presentation by Dr. Paul Doherty, and a viewing of the webcast. Colorado, Denver: Connecticut, Brookfield: Connecticut, West Hartford: Connecticut, Willimantic: Delaware, Wilmington: Florida, Orlando: Florida, Sanford: Georgia, Atlanta: The Seed and Feed Marching Abominable Band Georgia, Columbus: See the TRANSIT OF VENUS show, live star show of thecurrent night sky, and if clear, live telescopicviewing of the sun in H alpha and other solartelescopes. Learn how to safely watch the transit onJune 8th at sunrise!Safe solar glasses will be available on June 5 for $1ea for you to purchase and take home to see thishistoric upcoming event from a location with a clearlow eastern horizon as Venus passes between us and thesun on June 8 at sunrise! (Unfortunately, too manytrees and buildings to watch the actual event from theplanetarium.) The planetarium is located in the Math/Physics Bldg onGeorgia Ave off Herty Dr on the Georgia Southerncampus in Statesboro, GA. Georgia, Valdosta: Illinois, Champaign: Illinois, Peoria: The Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences Indiana, Mishawaka: Indiana, Mishawaka: We are having web casts, workshops, lectures, planetarium shows, musicalperformances, and a sunrise celebration. Not listed yet is an art exhibit related to the transit.Online information is at http://www.transitofvenus.org/phm/index.htm Indiana, Muncie: The Muncie Community Schools Planetarium is celebrating the Transit of Venus with MuncieSpace Trek- An Evening of Space Music and a Planetarium Program. Kansas, Topeka: Crane Observatory program on the Transit of Venus. Presented webcast and viewing for the public. Kentucky, Aurora: Kentucky, Bowling Green: Louisiana, Lafayette: Louisiana, Shrevport: Maine, Brunswick: Maine, Waterville: Maryland, Baltimore: Maryland, Lanham: Maryland, Silver Spring: Massachusetts, Cambridge: Harvard University's Science Center Massachusetts, Plymouth: Massachusetts, Williamstown: Michigan, Clarkston,: Michigan, Detroit: Michigan, Kalamazoo: Michigan, Traverse: New Jersey, Toms River New York, Albany New York, Binghampton New York, Selden New York, Staten Island New York, Syracuse North Carolina, Gastonia: North Carolina, Outer Banks: North Carolina, Salisbury: Ohio, Cleveland: Ohio, Dayton: Pennsylvania, Edinboro: Rhode Island, Providence South Carolina, Aiken Tennessee, Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory: Virginia, Alexandria: Virginia, Danville: Virginia, Hampton: Washington, D.C Howard University Observatory This event is co-sponsored by Science, Mathematics, Aerospace, Research, and Technology (S.M.A.R.T.), Inc. and the Howard University's Department of Physics and Astronomy. The Library of Congress, Science and Technology Reading Room The Perfoming Arts reading Room of the Library of Congress Wisconsin, Menasha The Barlow Planetarium West Virginia, Wheeling Benedum Planetarium International
Belgium:
Volkssterrenwacht Urania.
Our observatory will have people onseveral different locations in Belgium. We expect to have between 1000 and2000 visitors.
Contact: Didier Van Hellemont (didier.van.hellemont@pi.be) Norway, Oslo:
Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics / The Norwegian Astronomical Association
More about the festival:
http://www.astronomy.no/venus080604/frognerpark.html
We expect this to become the most magnificent celebration of this unique phenomenon anywhere in the world.
http://www.astronomy.no
http://www.astronomy.no/venus080604.html
Project Leader
Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics / The Norwegian Astronomical Association
P.O. Box 1029 Blindern
N-0315 Oslo, Norway
Phone: +47 22 85 75 22 (Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics)
Email: knutjo@astro.uio.no
The event will take place in The Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo, and during the major event will people get to see the Venus Transit exposed on a wide screen . We hope that the weather will be on our side - the time of the year is favorable - a lot of people use this park for relaxation and enjoyment , and with the possibility to see and almost "feel " the Venus Transit will this be a thriller!! We will have "live" coverage by NASA , and BBC
Contact: Mr. Ivar Johansen ivjoh@yahoo.no
University of Puerto Rico
will be planning to conduct teacher workshops, host an observing event for the general public with local astronomers and amateur astronomers, sponsor a lecture and videoconference on the Transit, set up solar observing stations, and participate in the NASA webcast.
Contact: Wanda Diaz 787-764-0000 x 7687
Institute of Astrophysics
will allow the general public free access to their telescopes on June 8 to view the transit of Venus.
looh's site in the Canary Islands is well situated for this transit. Theevent will start before Canarian sunrise and will end when the Sun has risenhigh in the sky. Few places in the Americas will get a clear glimpse of thetransit. The event will end early in the American morning, where the Sunwill be low on the horizon, decreasing the chance that the view will beclear enough of clouds and turbulence to allow a good view. Slooh's TeideObservatory site is considered by most professional solar astronomers to bethe finest observing site in the world. This is because the weather is veryclear there, and the steadiness of the air allows for the clearest views ofdetail on the Sun. At an altitude of 7900 feet there is also lessatmosphere to look through. Teide is also a world class nighttime observingsite.
(Eastern Daylight Time)
03:00AM Slooh's broadcast will commence (perhaps earlier if conditions
allow). Transit will already be in progress.
04:23AM Midpoint of transit
07:08AM Look for "black drop"
07:09AM Third contact.
07:27AM Fourth contact
07:30AM Tour of extant solar features
08:00AM Broadcast ends
Contact: Michael Paolucci at mike@marinersgate.com
The Observatory Science Centre:
We are holding an event called "Breakfast with Venus" This istaking place on the morning of the 8th June between 6am and 12 noon and willinvolve looking through a solar telescope and also watching a projectedimage (or 2!).
Contact: Dr. Sandra Voss s.voss@the-observatory.org
The Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum will hold several public events. All times are GMT.
Join Museum cosmochemist Monica Grady and Head of Special Projects and Innovation, Bob Bloomfield, to explore the science and history of this important planetary event.
Join Museum cosmochemist Monica Grady and Head of Special Projects and Innovation, Bob Bloomfield, to watch and discuss this important planetary event live as it happens.
Following Tuesday's extraordinary celestial event as Venus passed between the Earth and the sun, join Museum planetary scientist Caroline Smith as she unveils the geology of Venus and tells the story of some of the missions to explore the brightest planet in our skies.
Following Tuesday's extraordinary celestial event as Venus passed between the Earth and the sun, join Museum planetary scientist Sara Russell as she unveils the geology of Venus and tells the story of some of the missions to explore the brightest planet in our skies.
Contact: Sue Hordijenko sueh@nhm.ac.uk
is holding a temporary exhibtion which is called " Morning Star" at the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum
MAGNA Science Adventure Centre (www.auriga-astronomy.com/vt2004.htm) from 9am until Noon (BST) and is an ALL Weather event for viewing the Transit.
Contact: Dave Buttery dave@auriga-astronomy.com
Techniquest
will run "Make and Take Orrery" workshops on March 20 and 21 for age 7 and up. During the lab sessions, visitors can look at CD-ROMs on the Sun, posters, and general information about the upcoming transit of Venus. On June 8 the door will open early so that the public can have breakfast, view the transit with astronomers using solar viewing equipment, and enjoy the live webcast. On the weekend either before or after the transit day there will be a workshop on the Sun, Venus, and the transit. In the temporary exhibition space visitors can explore the Sun with transits being one of the topics covered. Resident and visiting astronomers will answer questions and give a talk on the history associated with this and other transits.
Contact: Helen Featherstone
Observatorio Astronomico de Minas
located in a public high school, in the city of Minas, in Uruguay, have planned to acquire images using a digital camera and share them with you for educational activities. The whole high school is excited with the idea of working with NASA!!
Contact: Rodrigo Sierra
oaminas@adinet.com.uy
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United States
Alabama, Huntsville :
The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Educator Resource Center
has built into their calendar workshops for the first quarter of 2004 and has built in several Sun-Earth Day promotional workshops for teachers and pre-service teachers.
January 21- Learning About Earth/Space Environment w/ Mitzi Adams
January 27- Space Weather w/ Dr. Dennis Gallagher
February 10- Scaling the Solar System w/ Dr. David Hathaway
February 24- Space Weather w/ Dr. Gallagher
March 19- Sun-Earth Web cast
April 6- Scaling the Solar System
April 13- Understanding the Transit of Venus w/ Mitzi Adams
June 8- Von Braun Planetarium to be a part of the June 8th viewing party- tentative plans to be announced.
Alease Sims, Coordinator
NASA Educator Resource Center
256/544-5812
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
On Tuesday, June 8, 2004, a celestial event of historical and scientific importance will occur---one that no one alive today has ever witnessed. On this date, the silhouette of the planet Venus will cross the face of the Sun causing visibility from Earth for the first time since 1882. The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Educator Resource Center (ERC) will offer a teacher workshop, Transit of Venus, Other Celestial Events and Spacecraft, that will be open to the public with preference to JROTC Instructors.
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Chabot Space and Science Center
is planning an evening event around the web cast, including hands-on activities, an airing of the BBC dramatization "Alas, Poor Horrocks," planetarium simulations, and of course viewing of the web cast. Our event will take place at Chabot Space & Science Center, 8:00-11:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time.
The Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater
in San Diego, will be planning to produce a short piece on DVD about the transit of Venus. It will run before each IMAX film for a week after the event. The morning of the transit they are inviting the local press to see the DVD and watch the web cast in their lecture hall. They will attempt to record the transit from the NASA web cast, and place the images into a soundtrack that they are creating before hand.
Contact: John Young (619) 685-5731
www.rhfleet.org
The Exploratorium
in conjunction with NASA/SECEF will be producing a live web-cast of the full Transit of Venus from Greece on June 8th, beginning at 1 AM EDT at the start of the transit. The webcast will be available to the public, and through a separate IP address, to museums and science centers, including narration and commentary by astronomers.
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The Denver Public Library
will be coordinating an event for children to watch the live web cast. One part of the event will involve the playing of Sousa's Transit of Venus March. Considering our earthly/orbital position in the 'neighborhood', our event will be an overnight gig for children (and their parents) grades 3-6. Our activities which will include watching the telecast, building models, construction of a rudimentary telescope, mini-lectures or a type of scavenger hunt, and a tour of our 7-story Central Library. Included in this tour we have put together a model of our planetary neighborhood that will map planets with a truncated size to distance ratio, which each patron can view with their homemade telescopes.
contact:Diane Tobin
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John J. McCarthy Observatory
The McCarthy Observatory is planning a wide range of activities for transit day. Weather permitting we will broadcast the event live on the local public access channel, Channel 17. Stay tuned to this web site for further information on the transit and our public outreach activities. Call the observatory if you have questions; 860 354-1595.
Contact: Mr. Robert Lambert
Science Center of Connecticut
In addition to three planetarium shows, as part of the Starry Night Evening Astronomy Series, the Science Center will host an evening of "sunny fun" and learning. It is sure to be an illuminating evening. Showings of the Transit of Venus Planetarium Show through out the night; A short talk and Q & A on the Venus Transit by our Astronomy Educators; Try your own hand at detecting extra solar planets and learn how astronomers have used transits to find over 120 extra solar planets; Make and Take Activities; learning doing with fun paper plate astronomy activities; Learn how to safely view the transit. You'll even get to take home your own solar viewers; For those brave enough to say up late, get information on how to view a live web cast* of the transit.
Contact: Jason T. Archer 860.231.2824 ext 40
Eastern Connecticut State University
will provide a free planetarium show on the transit on Wednesday April 14, 2004 at 5:30 p.m. in the Wickware Planetarium. The show is free but tickets are needed to reserve your seat. For tickets please contact Zosia Carlquist (860) 465-4317 or Russell D. Sampson (860) 465-0188. Weather permitting, on the morning of the transit we will have telescopes set up on the top level of the new campus parking garage to safely view the transit.
Contact: Dr. Russell D. Sampson
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The Delaware Astronomical Society (DAS) in conjunction with Bellevue State Park will be holding a viewing party at Fox Point Park along the Delaware River where there is a clear unobstructed view of the sun as it rises across the Delaware River. We will have telescopes with white filters and a hydrogen alpha filter available for viewing the transit. One of our members plans to videotape the transit.
Contact: Lynn King
Orlando Science Center
The Orlando Science Center's Crosby Observatory will be open 6am - 8am for viewing of the Transit of Venus. OSC's staff astronomers as well as members of the Central Florida Astronomical Society will be on hand with telescopes for safe viewing as well as to answer you questions about this unique event. Parking and Event Admission are free. A continental breakfast will be available for purchase on the Sun Trust Terrace.
Contact: Paul Trembly 407-514-2040
Seminole Community College Planetarium
The SCC Planetarium will be setting up telescopes to view this historic event. One telescope will be equipped with a hydrogen-alpha filter and an astronomical color camera to record the event. This camera view will also be displayed on a monitor and have 3 direct line feeds for TV media. Other telescopes will be set up with standard solar filters for direct viewing by the public.
Contact: Laurent Pellerin 407-328-2409
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The Fernbank Science Center
will offer real-time viewing of the transit from their observatory using a hydrogen-alpha filter.
of Atlanta is considering performing Sousa's Transit of Venus March this spring.
Contact: Bruce Plott
The Coca Cola Space Science Center
will use their 16-inch telescope equipped with a CCD camera and hydrogen-alpha filter to produce live images of the transit online, beginning at first visibility at sunrise. Contact Dr. Carol Rutland Georgia, Dahlonega:
Coleman Planetarium
We plan an overnight program, beginning with an observatory open house the evening of the 7th June. We will open the planetarium at midnight and project the live web cast on the dome for the duration of the transit. Weather permitting, we plan to observe the transit during and after sunrise using video eyepiece cameras through both white-light and H-alpha filters. Our tentative plan is to convert the regular video output of the cameras into digital feeds over the local network and project both white-light and H-alpha images on the planetarium dome.
Contact: Joseph Jones (706-864-1471) Georgia, Statesboro:
Georgia Southern Planetarium Free Public Event
Saturday, June 5, 2004 at 2 pmTHE TRANSIT OF VENUS Presentation, star show and more!Presented by NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador, BeckyLowder.
Contact: Becky Lowder (912) 681-5292 M-F from 8 am - 5 pm, or visit
Valdosta State University
Because our planetarium is currently out of commission, our activities will be limited to inviting the public to view the transit with our telescopes on the morning of June 8th.
Contact: Kenneth S. Rumstay (229) 333-5754
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William M. Staerkel Planetarium
We have been running a year-round program for the public & school groups called "Prairie Skies" where we have been talking some about the transit. When the time gets closer, we'll run several special presentations of the Transit of Venus show, distributed by the Great Lakes Planetarium Association (in DVD format). View a rare transit of Venus on the morning of June 8th at the William M. Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland College in Champaign, IL. Members of the local Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society will be on-hand for safe solar viewing, plus the planetarium is sponsoring several special "Transit of Venus" programs on June 5 at 3pm, plus June 7 and 3pm and 7pm. See www.parkland.edu/coned/pla for more information.
Contact: Dave Leake, 217/351-2567
The Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences
'Home of the World's Largest Complete Model of the Solar System'.
Will host a public event with telescopes; Rainbow Symphony solar viewing glasses will be distributed for safe viewing; A band ('Senior Citizens Band' and possibly a school band) will play the Transit of Venus March. March 3 press conference will 'get the word out'.
in conjunction with the Peoria Astronomical Society, will be holding a public observing event at Illinois Central College, 5:00 June 8, 2004.A band will be on site playing the Transit of Venus MarchA Transit of Venus show will be playing at Lakeview Museum's planetarium every Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 & 3:15 from May 15th - June 6th.
Contact: Sheldon Schafer, 309 686-7000 x145
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DePauw University
We're in the process of setting up a web cameras connected to Orion 60 mm EQ refractors (one in white light, the other in H-alpha). With our location in western Indiana, DePauw University hopes to record the last half-hour of the event through the telescopes in our new Solar Observatory located on the roof of the recently renovated Julian Science and Mathematics Center. If successful, the images will be available via the Internet for all interested observers.
Contact: Prof. Howard L. Brooks
The PHM Planetarium & Air/Space Museum
will present a Transit of Venus planetarium program on the following dates:
http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/Events.htmMarch 14 Transit of Venus sky show premieres. Collection of artifacts andprints related to the transit go on display at PHM Planetarium &Air/Space Museum. March 18 NASA Connect broadcast about the transit. March 19 Sun-Earth Day, featuring NASA webcast and broadcast about thetransit. March 23 Transit of Venus sky show available hereafter for visiting groups.Time slots are limited. March 27 Teacher and observer Workshop #1. By reservation; space islimited. Special guest includes formal education director fromNASA Goddard Space Flight Center. April 21 John Philip Sousa's Transit of Venus March will be performed atthe Penn Spring Band Concert in the PHM Center forPerforming Arts at 7:30 p.m. April 24 Astronomy Day features teacher and observer Workshop #2. Byreservation; space is limited. May 16 & 23 Transit of Venus sky shows open to public. See Show Schedule. June 5-8 Transit of Venus sky shows open to public. See Show Schedule. June 8 Transit of Venus at sunrise! Telescopes with solar filters, eclipseshades, and live webcasts will highlight the celebration near PennHigh School.
Muncie Community Schools' Planetarium
will train 50 school librarians on February 3, 2004 and 100 teachers on April 2, 2004. During these workshops the Planetarium will explain the upcoming events and how the school librarians and teachers can involve students.
April and May, 2004: Transit of Venus Planetarium Program shown daily (Mon-Fri) at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Call the planetairum765.747.5297 Option 7 to arrange classroom field trips or additional times.
June 7, 2004: Muncie Space Trek - A Celebration of Space Music and a Planetarium Program Outdoor Concert at the Muncie Community Schools PlanetariumFirst Indiana performance of The Transit of Venus March written in 1882 by John Phillip Sousa. Transit of Venus Planetairum Program 6:00 p.m. Muncie Astronomy Club - Star Party Telescopes for viewing Saturn and Jupiter Glasses for safe viewing of the Transit of Venus - Free Face Painting by the Art Team: Sun, Moon , Stars Free Admission to the outdoor oncert and the planetairum program
May 24 - June 8: Transit of Venus Quilt hand made by Don Tuttle Muncie Community Schools Planetarium June 8, 2004 Muncie Astronomy Club Members will take images of the Transit of Venus using an H alpha filter. These will be submitted to the SECEF VT archive so that others may enjoy them!
The Transit of Venus Planetarium Program will be shown at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. - FreeThe Outdoor Concert by America's Hometown Band, the Municipal Band of Muncie, Indiana ofspace music including the first time the Transit of Venus March has been performed inIndiana starts at 7:00 p.m. - Free
Displays Include:
Contact: Peggy Motes 765-747-5297 (option 7)
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Crane Observatory
will be open to the public for real time video viewing while the event is being recorded.
Contact: Brenda Culbertson brenda.culbertson@washburn.edu
Contact: Tibi Marin, (785) 539-7114
Golden Pond Observatory/Planetarium
They plan to Download the web cast and show it during the day of June 8, and set up 2 telescopes during the day. The inside scope is 12" Newtonian with H-alpha filter. They will use their Meade 8" LX200 outside. Although they will not be planning an over-night 'Camp-in' program, they have strong media contacts and will get the word out to the public before the event.
Contact:Don Partain 270-924-2243
Western Kentucky University
The Hilltopper Astronomy Club is hosting a sunrise Venus Transit viewing at the Thompson Complex, Center Wing on Western Kentucky University's campus. Opportunities will be available to view the transit with appropriate solar filters via naked eye and through small telescopes. In addition, both electronic and projected images of the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun will be provided, as well as webcast images of the transit provided by other observatories in the US and Europe. The public is welcome as early as 5:00 a.m. to view the webcast of the transit, which will first be visible in person after sunrise at about 5:30 a.m. CDT. The transit will be completely over at about 6:30 CDT.
Contact: Richard Gelderman at (270) 745-6203.
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Lafayette Natural History Museum & Planetarium
Plan to use the transit webcast as a public event at the museum, including the possibility of overnight programming, or at least pre-dawn programming. The sun should rise over the local horizon and nearby buildings and trees a few minutes before the end of the transit. They will be looking for a site within walking distance of the museum from which they could show the public a live view of the transit. They will also record the NASA webcast for use afterward, particularly prior to the 2012 transit. In addition, they are planning a live planetarium program about the transit, expected to run several times weekly from a couple of weeks prior to the event through a week or so after it. The transit information is being planned as a lengthy section during a constellation program. They also plan to participate in Sun-Earth Day, doing their public events on Saturday, March 20. Weather permitting, they will present free public solar viewing through 8" telescopes using visual and H-alpha filters. Because of their location in south Louisiana, they are also working on a bilingual French/English photo exhibit about the sun (March 20 is part of the Week of Francophony, a celebration of the French language). The exhibit will run throughout March.
Contact: Dave Hostetter 337-291-5547
Sci-Port Discovery Center
We are having a program for the public but we are also hosting a summer school program for 100 students in K-4th grade.
Contact: Cathy Williamson cwilliamson@sciport.org
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Crystal Spring Farm
The event is free and is a joint undertaking of the Astronomical Society of Northern New England (ASNNE (www.asnne.org)) and the Solar System Ambassador program. Local area amateur astronomers will have a variety of filtered telescopes, binoculars and educational material on hand for public viewing.
Contact: Rob Burgess, rburgess@gwi.net NASA Solar System Ambassador 207-729-6415
The Collins Observatory
at Colby College will be open to the public for area residents interested in observing the transit of the planet Venus past the Sun on Tuesday, June 8. The transit begins at 1:15 am while the Sun is well below the horizon, and lasts until 7:25 a.m., when the shadow of Venus leaves the Sun, according to Murray Campbell, the William A. Rogers Professor of Physics and Astronomy, who will conduct the observatory's open house. Portable telescopes protected for safe viewing of the sun will be available at sunrise, 4:56 am. The main observatory cannot be used until 7:00 am due to the tree line. Clear weather is needed to see the transit, and information on conditions will be available in a recorded message at 872-3251 prior to the event.
Contact: Dr. Murray F. Campbell
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The Maryland Science Center
will be offering real-time images of the transit with their 6-inch Alvin Clark refractor. They will also produce 'Take and Make' activities and other projects for students and the general public, which feature the transit. In addition, they will provide access to the real-time web cast of the full transit produced by The Exploratorium and NASA/SECEF.
Contact: Mr. Jim O'Leary
Howard B. Owens Science Center
and Science, Mathematics, Aerospace, Research, and Technology (S.M.A.R.T.), Inc. a non-profit organization is co-hosting a Venus Transit Family Night at the Howard B. Owens Science Center on Friday, June 4, 2004 from 7 to 9 p.m. Families will be provided with background information on the Venus Transit and and fun activities: a planetarium simulation of the Venus transit; a solar cookie demonstration; and a demonstration on building telescopes to view planets and the sun. Admission is free.
Contacts: Dr. Valerie L. Thomas and Ms. Zipporah Miller at 301-918-8750.
The NOAA Central Library
will be offering a unique document from their rare books collection. It is a book by Henry Chamberlain Russell, thegovernment astronomer of New South Wales, Australia, published in Sydneyin 1892. The book contains an outstanding series of colored lithographs, almost cartoon-like in their graphic simplicity, but really quite novel and subtle, detailing visual phenomena of the transit as it was perceived and photographed from avariety of observation parties. The book will be scanned and postedon either the NOAA Central Library website, or the main NOAA website by January, 2004.
Montgomery College, Takoma Park Campus
Roof of the Parking Garage at Fenton and King Street
Tuesday June 8th, 5:30 - 7:15am
Don't miss this incredible event - the next two transits are in 2012 and 2117! To learn more, visit NASA's website and sign up to be one of the millions who will be able to tell their children and grand children, "I saw the Venus Transit!".Will play John Philip Sousa's Transit of Venus March while watching the event from the roof of the Parking Garage at Fenton and King Street in SilverSpring, MD on the morning of June 8.
Contact: Dr. Harold Williams
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Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
is having a Transit viewing starting at 5am at the Center for Astrophysics Headquarters,60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA.
Contact: Ruth Bazinet (Public Affairs Office)
The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Harvard University, will hold a Festival of the Transit of Venus on June 8th, from 5 am - 7:30 am. The museum will offer public viewing of the transit with modern and vintage instruments (including some used by John Winthrop in 1769), live webcasts of remote observations elsewhere in the world, historical exhibitions and talks, and live performances of transit of Venus music for band and banjo. Event will take place rain or shine.
Blake Planetarium, PCIS
We are planning a telescope viewing session at sunrise on the morning of June 8 near the Mayflower II at the Plymouth, MA, waterfront. We are thinking of having a sign up sheet so people can sign after seeing Venus through a telescope, frame the sign up sheet and save it for the 2012 transit and have the same people sign in again...
Contact: Bill Luzader
The Hopkins Observatory of Williams College
is undertaking a major expedition to observe the transit of Venus, with a grantfrom the Committee for Research and Exploration of the National GeographicSociety and additional support from Sigma Xi. Prof. Jay M. Pasachoff joined bycolleague Dr. Bryce Babcock, five undergraduate students and an alumnus, aswell as colleague Dr. Glenn Schneider of the University of Arizona, willobserve the transit from the University of Thessaloniki, Greece. They willalso join Dr. Leon Golub of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics inusing NASA's TRACE spacecraft to observe the transit in a fashion similar totheir observations of transits of Venus and explanation of the black-dropeffect, with scientific papers available through links atwww.transitofvenus.info. In Williamstown, Dr. Steven Souza will supervisetransit observations, though they may be made from a site on campus with abetter eastern horizon than that of the telescopes.
Contact: 413 597 2188
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The Clarkston Community Band under the musical direction of Vince Chrisman performed Sousa's "Transit of Venus March" on June 11, 2005 at the "Stars Over Clarkston" star party with the Warren Astronomical Society.
www.clarkstonband.org
New Detroit Science Center's Dassault Systemes Planetarium
We will inform our visitors about the upcoming Transit of Venus through our seasonal sky tour show, named Spring Skies, which will be running until the weekend before the Solstice. We will inform visitors where on the Internet to find data on the Transit, and how to view the Transit during sunrise here in Michigan.
Contact: John Schroer
Kalamazoo Valley Museum
will be having a special program onthe morning of June 8th. They will open the doors at 5:00 AM EDT to watchthe latter portion of the webcast material, and at sunrise, they will set uptelescopes to watch the egress from Kalamazoo. Over night before the program begins, they will be capturing web shots fromaround the world to show the beginning of the event and equipment usedfor viewing the transit. They will also be running planetarium programs, beginning April 3 and continuing through June titled "Islands in the Sky" at 4:00 PM on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday and "The Northern Lights" at 1:30 onSaturday and Sunday. The Islands in the Sky program, originallyproduced at Hansen Planetarium, features a segment on Captain Cook andthe Transit of Venus in 1769. "The Northern Lights" is the programlisted on your website, produced as a part of the Sun-Earth Connectionsprogram by the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Contact: Eric Schreur, Planetarium Coordinator (269) 373-7978
Northwestern Michigan College, The Rogers Observatory
We will be open to the public for viewing the transit of Venus on Tuesday June 8, 2004. Observations will be from 6:00 am until 8:00 am, weather permitting. For additional information, call the observatory information phone line at 231- 995-2300 or visit our website at http://www.nmc.edu/rogersobservatory.
Contact: Jerry Dobek
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Martin Luther College Planetarium
Will have telescopes with proper filtration to view the image and for image collection beginning at sunrise (5:25am CDT) until completion at 6:04 am CDT. Will videotape NASA feed, if possible, for use on public access cable channels.
Contact: John W. Paulsen 507-354-8221 ext.352
Minnesota, Hibbing
Paulucci Space Theatre
The Paulucci Space Theatre will run a transit of Venus program on May 25 at 10:00 A.M. and again on June 7 at 7:00 P.M. We will also set up telescopes and have eclipse shades available for visitors, weather permitting, on June 8 starting at sunrise 5:15 A.M.
Contact: Marc Rouleau, 218-262-6718
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New Jersey, North Branch
The Planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College
Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium is holding several workshops so you can learn when, where, and how to see this unusual event. Participants will observe the simulated event in the planetarium, test their eyesight in the exhibit hall, and receive a pair of solar glasses for watching the Transit at home. Workshops will be held Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6.
Contact: the Planetarium at 908-231-8805 or planet@raritanval.edu.
The Novins Planetarium
and the Astronomical Society of the Toms River Area (ASTRA) will be observing the Venus transit from the boardwalk near the Jenkinsons Aquarium at Point Pleasant Beach in New Jersey. Should the event be rained out, Planetarium staff and amateur astronomers from ASTRA will be on hand at the Novins Planetarium and able to provide information, video and photographic resources members of the media and any interested public.
Contact: Gloria A. Villalobos (732) 255-0400 x2111
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Henry Hudson Planetarium
is presenting a special program on Saturday, June 5th, 12:30 .In addition to the Transit of Venus information, members of the AlbanyArea Amateur Astronomers will present ways to engage in safe solarviewing. Free parking is available in Visitors Center parking area off Broadwayvia Spencer St.
Contact: Carol Ann Margolis (518) 434-1217 x202
Roberson Museum & Science Center
We're simulating the transit in the planetarium using the sun and a small hole on our dome during public and school shows. Our observatory will be open during the transit.
Contact: Arthur Mellin amellin@roberson.org
Suffolk County Community College
We intend to have an assortment of telescopes that shall be used during the night with which to view not only the transit, but all objects astronomical in nature. We also aim to record the transit event itself using both white-light and H-alpha filters and CCD cameras. Anyone, either student or member of the public will be welcome to attend at any time during the evening and early morning of the 7th - 8th June.
Contact: Mike Inglis (631 451 4120)
Astrophysical Observatory at the College of Staten Island-CUNY
We plan a public viewing through several set ups.
1. view via solar eclipse glasses..naked eye
2. A daystar Hydrogen Alpha view we thought would be interesting and unique
3. A traditional view with a solar filter.
Contact: Irving Robbins robbins@postbox.csi.cuny.edu
OCM BOCES Science Center
We are inviting employees of BOCES, as well as some area educators and administrators who are involved with our science program. They will comefrom 5:30 - 7:30 that morning, and "have their first cup of coffee with theGoddess of Love - Venus". We will have our Starlab planetarium set up andwill be doing presentations in it from 8-10 that morning to this same groupof people.
Contact: Kathy Southwell
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James H. Lynn Planetarium, Schiele Museum of Natural History
We will be hosting a pre-dawn star party/breakfast gathering to be followed by viewing of the transit. We'll work with the Gaston County Skywatchers to have scopes available with proper solar filters.
Contact: James C. Craig (704) 866-6922
View sunrise and the transit of Venus with 5" and 11" Celestron telescopes on the beach in the North Carolina Outer Banks.
Contact: Mark Orsatti at mark.orsatti@kiski.org, Astronomy Club ofThe Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania.
Horizons Unlimited and the Margaret C. Woodson Planetarium will be open free to the public on May 2nd. We will be selling eclipse glasses, showing the GLPA "Transit of Venus" DVD and offering special exhibits that highlight the upcoming Venus Transit, including an in-depth look at Venus, our "sister planet". On June 1st, we will show the DVD again to a summer community audience.Contact: Patsy Wilson (704) 639-3131
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The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
will sponsor a public observing session at Gordon Park fishingarea (E 79th Street and North Marginal Road, Cleveland, OH) from 5:45am to7:30am June 8, 2004. Telescopes will be set up (with proper shielding) forviewing. Sunrise at 5:51am, Venus leaves disk 7:26am. Solar viewing glassescan be purchased at the museum store for $1 and can be safely used to viewthe Sun.
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
In our Caryl D. Philips Space Theater we will be showing the Transit of Venus planetarium show produced by Chuck Bueter and Art Klinger of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association for the eight weeks prior to the transit. We are offering an evening program for interested adults at the end of May. Weather permitting we will be viewing the transit upon sunrise.
Contact: Cheri Adams
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Edinboro University of Pennsylvania's Planetarium
will present "Venus Transit" on 4/27 and 5/6. Each program starts at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the general public. Our guest speaker will be Edmond Halley, who will highlight the significance of the upcoming event and how it can be used to find the allusive Astronomical Unit! Call 814-732-2493 for reservations. In addition to the planetarium programs, we will host the one and only "Venus Transit" Quilt the last week in April and first week of May.
Contact: Dr. David Hurd
Museum of Natural History, Roger Williams Park
Visit us the weekend of June 5 - 6 to make a Sundial, receive Transit of Venus material and see a planetarium program. Check out our lobby window dedicated to the Transit of Venus. Learn more about this once and a lifetime stellar opportunity. Make and Take activity available from 12:00 - 4:00Planetarium programs offered Saturdays and Sundays, 1:30 and 3:00
Contact: Renee Gamba 401.785.9457 x224
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Dupont Planetarium
On April 24, 2004 we had our annual Spring Earth and Sky Night. The theme for this year was the Transit of Venus. Highlighting this event was information regarding a German Science team that visited our town, Aiken, South Carolina, during the 1882 transit. The Dupont Planetarium at the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) presented the show titled, "Venus: Up Close and Crossing the Sun." The planetarium show will be presented during our regularly scheduled evening programs on May 21, May 22, June 2 and June 3. On the day of the transit, June 8, telescopes will be available on the roof of the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center at the (USCA) beginning at 6:00 a.m.
Contact: Gary J. Senn, Ph.D. 803-641-3558
Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory
will be offering public viewing, and real-time web casts of the transit, in conjunction with NASA/SECEF. Views of the transit through Hydrogen-Alpha filters will be made available online. Main observations of the full transit web cast will be at the observatory, with a local live link from a remote telescope on campus will also be provided.
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The Virginia Grand Military Band
will re-perform the Sousa Transit of Venus March during their Spring Program, having preformed it twice in 2003 on September 13 and for the 'Sousa Birthday' performance on November 1, 2003. The Conductor, Mr. Loras Schissel, is a world expert on John Philip Sousa, and created the modern band scoring for the Sousa March which now resides at the Library of Congress website.
Danville Science Center
presents "Sky Watchers: Venus and the Sun" on Tuesday, June 8 at 6-7:30 a.m. Join us as we observe this special celestial event with special telescopes and solar viewers at the Danville Media Center, 710 Grove Street.
Contact: Jeff Liverman
NASA Langley
The S'COOL Team was on travel for most of the last month and our Sun-Earth Activity http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/sun-earth_seasons.html did not get as much attention as it should have this year. We had five schools make sun angle observations from as far north as NH and as far south as Argentina. Although more data would have been ideal, students could still plot these angles and learn about the relationship of the sun as dependant on latitude location. Here are a few pictures from Taipei Municipal First Girls'Senior H.S., Taipei, Taiwan that I am passing along. I do not have a record of how or if the Sun-Earth materials were used. The results of our Sun Angle Activity can be found at http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/sun-earth-obser.cfm
Contact: Doug Stoddard
CERES S'COOL Project - NASA Langley Research Center
Students' Cloud Observations On-Line http://scool.larc.nasa.gov
d.b.stoddard@larc.nasa.gov
Virginia Living Museum
is hosting two events: one on the evening of Friday, June 4 (part of a regular series of evening astronomy events 7:30-10:30 pm) called An Evening Under the Stars: Venus of a Lifetime. We will be featuring information on how to view the transit, including a special planetarium presentation. We will also host a "Breakfast with Venus" event on the morning of June 8, 5-7:30 am, during which we hope to view (at least the end) of the transit ourselves through our 16" Meade telescope. If not, we will move into the planetarium theater to see a NASA live telecast of the event! Our event will proceed rain or shine.
Contact: Kelly Herbst (757) 595-1900 x256 Virginia, Richmond:
Science Museum of Virginia
We will show the transit, if sky is clear, in our IMAX theater via a close circuit TV mounted on a telescope; and we will have telescopes with solar filters set up for the public to observe.
Contact: Ken Wilson
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The Dibner Library of the Smithsonian Institution
will feature an exhibit 'Chasing Venus' which will debut in early March at the National Museum of American History. In addition to a presentation of many historical documents about the transit, and the expeditions which studied them, classroom activities are also available in this rapidly growing web site.
will be open early for public viewing (weather permitting) on June 8, using a solar telescope with video camera display in Locke Hall's penthouse. Webcast view of the transit from Europe, by way of NASA's Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum and the Exploratorium, will be held in Room P-08 of Locke Hall from 5 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
Contact: Dr. George Carruthers
is featuring a program on March 19, 2004 'Science Safari' Science and math teachers from across the country will guide participants through hands-on experiments and activities in celebration of ESTME Week (Excellence in Science, Technology, and Mathematics Education). This event is designed to excite students about math and science and to highlight the importance of science education. The "Science Safari" is jointly sponsored by the Science, Technology & Business Division and the Department of Energy's Office of Science. ESTME Week is sponsored by the Department of Education along with the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies and scientific societies."
will be posting a web site dedicated to music which has the Transit of Venus as a theme. The new web site will be available in early January, 2004. It will feature John Philip Sousa's Transit of Venus March written in 1883, with full band scoring so that modern school and civic bands can re-perform it in 2004. Also included are other music resources related to the transit.
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in Menasha, Wisconsin, will present the show "Venus: Earth's Fiery Twin" during May and June 2004. This presentation includes information on transits and will include images of the 2004 transit after June 8. The Barlow Planetarium often works with local astronomy club NEWSTAR (Northeast Wisconsin Stargazers) on major astronomical events and celebrations (such as Astronomy Day). NEWSTAR is organizing a live observing session from a location near Menasha. People interested in learning more about planetarium presentations and the transit viewing may contact the planetarium.
Contact: Karen Klamczynski 920-832-2868.
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We are co-hosting a Venus Transit public viewing with a neighboring environmental center. We are going to have 8 telescopes with solar filters, 3 solar projectors and several Eclipse Glasses for viewing. We are going to precede the event with a 15 minute educational talk about the transit, safe viewing techniques and introduction of staff and volunteers. Following the event, we are having an optional breakfast buffet in the hotel (located on the grounds) dining room for any of the participants who want to take part.
Contact: Steve Mitch
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