Posts Made By: Curt Renz

I have created graphics which demonstrate the 2004 JUN 08 Transit of Venus as viewed from 4 American cities.

Horizontal (alt-az, zenith up) coordinates are employed. Charts from other sources show Celestial North as up, whereas Celestial North (toward the North Star) will actually be diagonally to the upper left at Sunrise.

My 4 charts depict Venus at its local rising time (nearly the same as Sunrise), and at both the interior and exterior egression contact moments.

Click the link below:

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro1.html

Navigate the screen to view all 4 charts.

You can save an image to your hard drive by right clicking it, then clicking "Save Picture As".

The graphics will be replaced shortly after the event occurs.

Please reply to this thread with your questions or thoughts. 8)

NEVER look directly at the Sun. If you do not know how to properly use filters, then employ the projection method.

I have created graphics which demonstrate the 2004 JUN 08 Transit of Venus as it will be seen from 4 American cities.

Horizontal (alt-az, zenith up) coordinates are employed. Charts from other sources show Celestial North as up, whereas Celestial North (toward the North Star) will actually be diagonally to the upper left at Sunrise.

My 4 charts depict Venus at its local rising time (nearly the same as Sunrise), and at both the interior and exterior egression contact moments.

Click the link below:

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro1.html

Navigate the screen to view all 4 charts.

You can save an image to your hard drive by right clicking it, then clicking "Save Picture As".

The graphics will be replaced shortly after the event occurs.

Please reply to this thread with your questions or thoughts. 8)

NEVER look directly at the Sun. If you do not know how to properly use filters, then employ the projection method.

I have created graphics which demonstrate the 2004 JUN 08 Transit of Venus as it will be seen from 4 American cities.

Horizontal (alt-az, zenith up) coordinates are employed. Charts from other sources show Celestial North as up, whereas Celestial North (toward the North Star) will actually be diagonally to the upper left at Sunrise.

My 4 charts depict Venus at its local rising time (nearly the same as Sunrise), and at both the interior and exterior egression contact moments.

Click the link below:

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro1.html

Navigate the screen to view all 4 charts.

You can save an image to your hard drive by right clicking it, then clicking "Save Picture As".

The graphics will be replaced shortly after the event occurs.

Please reply to this thread with your questions or thoughts. 8)

NEVER look directly at the Sun. If you do not know how to properly use filters, then employ the projection method.

I have created graphics which demonstrate the 2004 JUN 08 Transit of Venus as it will be seen from 4 American cities.

Horizontal (alt-az, zenith up) coordinates are employed. Charts from other sources show Celestial North as up, whereas Celestial North (toward the North Star) will actually be diagonally to the upper left at Sunrise.

My 4 charts depict Venus at its local rising time (nearly the same as Sunrise), and at both the interior and exterior egression contact moments.

Click the link below:

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro1.html

Navigate the screen to view all 4 charts.

You can save an image to your hard drive by right clicking it, then clicking "Save Picture As".

The graphics will be replaced shortly after the event occurs.

Please reply to this thread with your questions or thoughts. 8)

NEVER look directly at the Sun. If you do not know how to properly use filters, then employ the projection method.

Special Edit: We have apparent winners in all three categories. Kudos to Christopher Faris (telescope & binoculars) and Dave Mitsky (naked-eye). Heartiest congratulations to both of these fine stargazers! See posts below.

Cheer Up! There is no need to bemoan the fact that Venus has left the evening sky and the transit is over. It will soon be reincarnated as the brilliant Morning Star. As such, it will remain in the pre-dawn eastern sky for more than half a year.

I propose 3 contests for 3 categories of observations:

1) Naked-Eye (Grand Prize)
2) Binoculars
3) Telescope

Below are listed Venus' elongation from the Sun and fraction illuminated as it will be seen around Sunrise in Chicago (05:15 CDT - 10:15 UT) for the remainder of June.

JUN Elongation Illumination
09 -- 01.7 degrees -- 00.04%
10 -- 03.3 degrees -- 00.2%
11 -- 04.9 degrees -- 00.4%
12 -- 06.5 degrees -- 00.6%
13 -- 08.0 degrees -- 01.0%
14 -- 09.6 degrees -- 01.4%
15 -- 11.1 degrees -- 01.8%
16 -- 12.6 degrees -- 02.4%
17 -- 14.0 degrees -- 03.0%
18 -- 15.5 degrees -- 03.6%
19 -- 16.8 degrees -- 04.3%
20 -- 18.2 degrees -- 05.0%
21 -- 19.5 degrees -- 05.8%
22 -- 20.8 degrees -- 06.6%
23 -- 22.0 degrees -- 07.4%
24 -- 23.2 degrees -- 08.3%
25 -- 24.4 degrees -- 09.2%
26 -- 25.5 degrees -- 10.1%
27 -- 26.6 degrees -- 11.0%
28 -- 27.6 degrees -- 11.9%
29 -- 28.6 degrees -- 12.8%
30 -- 29.6 degrees -- 13.8%

I have created a graphic of the eastern sky as seen from Chicago about 20 minutes before Sunrise. Click the link below:

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro2.html

The graphic may soon be replaced.

Please report your observations in this thread. Include details such as time (with zone noted) and location. Even reports of negative results will be appreciated. No prizes - just bragging rights.

Who will be the first to spot a slender crescent Moon by naked-eye after its conjunction with the Sun on 2004 JUN 17 at 20:27 UT?

I have created a graphic showing the western sky as seen from Chicago on Friday 2004 JUN 18 at 21:00 CDT (it should well serve most North American observers). At that time the Moon will be 1.4% illuminated and elongated from the Sun by 13.4 degrees. The Moon will be nearly in conjunction with Saturn. The Moon will be 5.3 degrees to Saturn's right. Click below:

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro3.html

Post your results in this thread. Please include time (with zone) and location. Photos would be nice. Even negative results will be appreciated. No prizes - just bragging rights. Good Luck.

The crescent Moon will appear to pass closely above Jupiter on the evening of Wednesday 2004 JUN 23. The closest angular separation between centers will be about 2.3 degrees when viewed from Chicago. The closest geocentric approach will be 3.1 degrees.

This may be a good photo opportunity.

I have created a chart previewing the event. Click below.

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro1.html

Mercury will pass Saturn by an angular distance of 2.1 degrees on Saturday 2004 JUN 26 @ 23:33 UT. They will be elongated only about 9.7 degrees from the Sun, so it will require a real sharp-eyed planet hunter to find them right after Sunset. Please report here if you see them.

Click below for a preview graphic that I created:

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro3.html

The graphic may be replaced soon after the event occurs.

As was the case last month, there will be an unusually large Full Moon again this month. Opposition with the Sun occurs on JUL 02 @ 11:09 UT (06:09 CDT). Perigee occurs on JUL 01 @ 23 hr UT (18 hr CDT) at 357, 448 km (barely more than last month which was the closest of the year).

Due to the timing of the opposition close to Sunrise on Friday in America, Thursday evening will present a slightly fuller Moon than Friday Evening.

For my July computer desktop wallpaper calendar of the Moon's daily phase and angular size, click:

http://www.curtrenz.com/calendar1.html

It can be made into your computer wallpaper by left clicking the calendar and then clicking "Set as Background". Don't worry if it seems the wrong size at first, your operating system will resize it to fit.

On July 7 & 8 Mercury will be moving through the Beehive cluster (Praesepe, M44). They will be low in the west-northwest after Sunset.

For the graphic I created previewing the event, click:

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro1.html

The graphic will be removed shortly after the event occurs.