http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/transit-venus-springfield_38951.mp3
Dr. Robert Patterson is a professor of Physics and Astronomy at Missouri State University. He explains that the solar phenomenon known as the Transit of Venus is anything but common. It won’t happen again until the year 2117.
“What happens is, Very rarely, Venus passes directly between the sun and the earth, similar to what happens when an eclipse of the sun occurs: when the moon passes between the two objects. However, in this case, Venus will be much farther away and, although it is larger than the moon, will produce a very small angular size in the sky. So as it passes across the face of the sun it will be a small dot, only about one thirtieth the size of the sun and sky.”
Dr. Patterson warns eclipse viewers not to stare directly into the sun. This can cause severe retinal burns and loss of vision. He says the transit of Venus can be viewed from home using a projection technique. This is done by using binoculars or a small telescope that will project the image onto a piece of paper.
For a better look at the eclipse, Dr. Patterson will be at the top level of Bear Park South from 4pm-8pm. He will provide telescopes equipped with solar filters to view the eclipse safely. Bear Park south is the parking garage at the corner of Grand and Holland. Parking is free on the lower levels. The Transit of Venus will roughly take place around 5pm.
For KSMU News, I’m Shannon Bowers.