On 5th June, i ended up reading multiple articles about the transit of venus from Scientific America, including a slideshow and a very intriguing story about the viewings of the previous venus transits.
The event was also being shown in IITB by Krittika, the Astronomy club. This transit was to happen from sunrise to 10 am in India. As it was morning time, and a nice telescope was being put up very close to my hostel, i decided to attend it.
So, my preparation for the even included - making a calendar entry with two alarms, switching on phone alarm for 6:30 am and sleeping early. But i ended up sleeping at 4:30 am that morning. Yes, for a change, i was able to work late in the night and move my report a great deal ahead. So i thought i will miss this event simply because i won't get up. Little did i know what was happening outside at that time.
When i wokeup with a start, because the alarm was ringing very loudly in the empty lab, i decided to get up and go out and be one of the first to watch the transit on campus and again go back to sleep, this time in my room. But alas! It had started to rain. With monsoon delayed by a week, the only time the premonsoon showers had was this morning! i cursed and left, just to check if the viewing event wasn't cancelled and i could go there if the sky cleared later on.
It wasn't cancelled. Three - four people from the club and a handful of enthu people were sittting there on OAT stairs, waiting for the sky to clear. No luck. So i went to hostel, freshened up and was planning to sleep, when i felt the sun was coming out. By now, it had stopped raining too. So, remembering the story of Jeremiah Horrocks, the first ever person in recorded history to observe the transit of Venus, i decided to hold out. And ended up sitting in OAT till 10:15.
Still no luck. Only, i learn a bit about the telescope which was kept there - equatorial mount of its stand, parabolic reflector, Schmdit-newton type telescope, the solar filter and what not. Also, i learnt how it is dissembled and thus, assembled. It was fun. So many people turned up, little kids shorter than the telescope to old PG students to uncles and aunties and even a grandpa. All had to be satisfied with seeing some distant Gulmohar flowers.
In all these three - four long hours, the sun never came out strong enough to cast a shadow and make any observations. there were always clouds and the invisible Venus between the Sun and us. Just twice did we think we have a chance. But it was false alarm.
Frustrated, i came back to lab, having missed both the Venus transits in my life time. the earlier one was in 2004. I don't remember what i was doing then, but i didn't see it then. And today, clouds made sure that i didn't see the other either. Dampened, in both spirits and clothes, i came to lab. But then, my luck was just a little bad, when compared to the unlucky Guillaume Le Gentil who has been immortalised in the play Transit of Venus. So, i made sure that i didn't feel too bad either.
All left with me were these lines by Horrocks
The above image is taken from a slideshow at this link
The event was also being shown in IITB by Krittika, the Astronomy club. This transit was to happen from sunrise to 10 am in India. As it was morning time, and a nice telescope was being put up very close to my hostel, i decided to attend it.
So, my preparation for the even included - making a calendar entry with two alarms, switching on phone alarm for 6:30 am and sleeping early. But i ended up sleeping at 4:30 am that morning. Yes, for a change, i was able to work late in the night and move my report a great deal ahead. So i thought i will miss this event simply because i won't get up. Little did i know what was happening outside at that time.
When i wokeup with a start, because the alarm was ringing very loudly in the empty lab, i decided to get up and go out and be one of the first to watch the transit on campus and again go back to sleep, this time in my room. But alas! It had started to rain. With monsoon delayed by a week, the only time the premonsoon showers had was this morning! i cursed and left, just to check if the viewing event wasn't cancelled and i could go there if the sky cleared later on.
It wasn't cancelled. Three - four people from the club and a handful of enthu people were sittting there on OAT stairs, waiting for the sky to clear. No luck. So i went to hostel, freshened up and was planning to sleep, when i felt the sun was coming out. By now, it had stopped raining too. So, remembering the story of Jeremiah Horrocks, the first ever person in recorded history to observe the transit of Venus, i decided to hold out. And ended up sitting in OAT till 10:15.
Still no luck. Only, i learn a bit about the telescope which was kept there - equatorial mount of its stand, parabolic reflector, Schmdit-newton type telescope, the solar filter and what not. Also, i learnt how it is dissembled and thus, assembled. It was fun. So many people turned up, little kids shorter than the telescope to old PG students to uncles and aunties and even a grandpa. All had to be satisfied with seeing some distant Gulmohar flowers.
In all these three - four long hours, the sun never came out strong enough to cast a shadow and make any observations. there were always clouds and the invisible Venus between the Sun and us. Just twice did we think we have a chance. But it was false alarm.
Frustrated, i came back to lab, having missed both the Venus transits in my life time. the earlier one was in 2004. I don't remember what i was doing then, but i didn't see it then. And today, clouds made sure that i didn't see the other either. Dampened, in both spirits and clothes, i came to lab. But then, my luck was just a little bad, when compared to the unlucky Guillaume Le Gentil who has been immortalised in the play Transit of Venus. So, i made sure that i didn't feel too bad either.
All left with me were these lines by Horrocks
- " ...Thy return
- Posterity shall witness; years must roll
- Away, but then at length the splendid sight
- Again shall greet our distant children's eyes."
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| A bird alighting on top of Taj Mahal, Agra, while transit of Venus is happening. |
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