Tag Archives: Venus transit 2012

Transiting the midnight sun

Watch nearly seven hours of transit time in less than twenty seconds! This time lapse movie from ESA TV shows the transit of Venus as experienced under the midnight sun, 78 degrees north from the Arctic island of Svalbard. Interference from cloud gives an eerie feel to the scene.

Our last transit of Venus, the movie

The anticipation and excitement of watching the transit of Venus under the midnight Sun in the high northern latitudes of Svalbard is portrayed nicely in this short film by Lightcurve Films, in association with the European Planetology Network. Lightcurve Films produced six short films about the transit, four of which were shot on location in Svalbard earlier this week. Watch all six here: http://vimeo.com/channels/ourlasttransitofvenus/

 

Hinode’s view of the transit

The international Sun-watching spacecraft Hinode caught this stunning view of Venus entering the solar disc on 5-6 June. More Hinode transit images are available here.

Credits: JAXA/NASA/Lockheed Martin.

The transit from Budapest

The transit from Budapest. Credits: ESA - O. Witasse

Some of our Mars Express colleagues holding a meeting in Budapest this week were treated to clear skies for the transit during sunrise. Here are some views of their experience.

Enjoying sunny skies in Budapest. Credits: ESA - O.Witasse

Last contact for 105 years

After seven hours of dedicated observing – often grabbing opportunities between breaks in the cloud – our Svalbard team watched Venus leave the solar disc. The next transit of Venus will not be visible from Earth until 2117.

Third contact - can you see the black drop effect? Credit: Michel Breitfellner and Miguel Perez Ayucar

Venus Express and the transit of Venus

Venus Express project scientist Håkan Svedhem watches the transit

ESA's Venus Express project scientist Håkan Svedhem observes the transit of Venus from Svalbard as Venus Express – the only spacecraft orbiting Venus at the moment – prepares to take its solar occultation measurements. During these measurements sunlight will filter through Venus' atmosphere, revealing the concentration of different gas molecules at different altitudes. This technique is also used to probe the atmospheres of planets outside of our Solar System – exoplanets – to determine their potential habitability. Simultaneous ground-based measurements will be compared with Venus Express data to test techniques used to characterise rocky Earth-sized planets.

 

 

Proba-2′s ringside seat

Proba-2 continues to watch the solar spectacular from its ringside seat in low-Earth orbit.

Credits: ESA

 

 

Transit of Venus on ESA TV!

Our luck continues in Svalbard and between patchy cloud we are being treated to splendid views of Venus as it passes in front of the Sun. Here's a shot through the ESA TV camera...look closely, it's approaching the 11 o'clock position!

credit: ESA

“We got it!”

credits: Michel Breitfellner and Miguel Perez Ayucar/ESAC.

It may be cloudy, but we were still able to see some of the first moments of the 2012 transit of Venus here in Svalbard thanks to ESAC's Michel Breitfellner and Miguel Perez Ayucar, who have solar and optical telescopes equipped with cameras. Their images from Svalbard and from colleagues located on the other side of the world in Canberra, Australia, will be uploaded here throughout the night, so do keep watching!

 

Proba-2 sees Venus approach the Sun

First glimpse of Venus by ESA's Proba-2 space satellite

Proba-2's SWAP imager sees clearly the first signs of the Venus disc in its field of view, at 1945 UT. The Venus disc projection is visible at a distance a little less than 1 solar radii; note this is not an interaction with the solar corona, but the absorption of EUV radiation of the Venus disc between the Sun and the SWAP imager.