A Moment in Time: SC State University to host Transit of Venus Viewing

Felton Laboratory School in conjunction with members of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Grant Program and the Partnership in Observational and Computational Astronomy (POCA) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) will host a historical moment in time, the Transit of Venus Viewing, which will take place on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. This event will be held at the Felton Laboratory School Playground, located on the campus of SC State University.? This event is free and open to the public.

?

According to www.transitofvenus.org, this historical event occurs when Venus passes directly between Earth and the sun; we will see the distant planet as a small dot gliding slowly across the face of the sun. Historically, this rare alignment is how we measured the size of our solar system. A tiny dark circle will appear near the top of the sun and slowly move down and across it. The transit is scheduled to begin at 6:04 p.m. and by 6:30 p.m. the full circle of Venus will be over the sun. Only half of the world will be able to view this erratic event. In South Carolina, citizens will only be able to view the transit taking place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

?

To view this historic event, all participants must be very careful while watching the transit emerge. Dr. Jennifer Cash, associate professor of physics is extremely concerned about the well-being of all observers. ?Participants must not look directly into the sun, because it may cause blindness,? she says. ??We have everything on-site to safely view the transit of Venus and everyone will have the opportunity to view the transit through the solar scope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the sun.

?

This year?s transit will be only the eighth that humans have been able to see. The first known sighting was by British astronomers, Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree on Dec. 4, 1639. It was made possible by the invention of the telescope in 1608. The next transit will take place during the year 2117.

Serving as the associate professor of physics for 10 years at SC State University, Cash is extremely excited about this historical moment.? ?This is a very rare event, it will never happen again in anyone?s lifetime,? Cash says.? This event will not only be for adults to view, but an educational tool for children as well. ?It is very important that children come out to the event.? This creates an educational opportunity for them to grasp the concept of the solar system,? Cash continues.

?

In such case of inclement weather, the Transit of Venus viewing will be held in Felton?s gymnasium. Solar system demonstrations and a live video feed from observers in other parts of the world will be held on site, as an added feature.

?

For additional information about the Transit of Venus viewing contact, Dr. Jennifer Cash at (803) 516-4753. You may also reach her via email at jcash@scsu.edu. To learn more about the Transit of Venus, log on to www.transitofvenus.org.

nor easter ted nugent veep los angeles kings earth day timothy leary jonathan frid