Transit Of Venus Across the Sun June 5- 6, 2012
This isn’t your regular run-of-the-mill astrological “transit.”
A Transit of Venus across the Sun is a remarkable astronomical occurrence. This takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk and appearing to observers on Earth as a small black spot moving across the face of the Sun. The next transit of Venus will occur on June 5–6 in 2012, succeeding the previous transit on June 8, 2004. After this year, the next Transits of Venus will be in December 2117 and December 2125.
Transits of Venus are among the rarest of predictable astronomical phenomena. They occur in a pattern that repeats every 243 years, with pairs of transits eight years apart separated by long gaps of 121.5 years and 105.5 years.
It is no coincidence that the Mayan Calendar comes to its famous end this year. The Mayan calendar is largely based on the Venus cycle and they were well aware of the regularity of the Transit of Venus so this year was a very logical place to stop.
In the 1760’s wholehearted scientific observations were made by groups hoping to make discoveries that would help navigation as well as advance science. In 1761 Mason and Dixon participated in one expedition for observations at the Cape of Good Hope. In 1769 ships were again set off to numerous points around the globe to make observations of the phenomena, including one ship under the command of Captain Cook who sailed to Tahiti to create an observation post.
Here is a map of locations where the transit of Venus across the Sun will be visible but be sure to use caution just as you would when viewing an eclipse.
so, what is expected to happen on that day?
It is very good day to Travel to Tahiti …………but seriously, this is a pattern that spans hundreds of years, so it doesn’t mean much to individuals and astrologers don’t expect anything to “happen” except that a lot more people will be getting out their telescopes and dark glasses to view it. It is just a time when one can see Venus against the solar disk.
Many years ago someone showed me how the points created by the Transit of Venus (over the hundreds of years) created a five pointed star.
awesome post thanks!
Enjoyed your comments, but want to point out that Lewis and Clark, if you are referring to the famous explorers,could not have observed the celestial phenomena in 1761, as neither was born until the 1770′s.
But I am surprised that you hesitate to speculate on what the meaning of Venus eclipse the Sun might portend. Were there any common or related events during previous eclipses?
THANKS FOR CATCHING THE ERROR–TRULY MEANT TO WRITE MASON & DIXON AS I DID ELSEWHERE–IT IS CORRECTED NOW. THIS EVENT IS RARE BUT PART OF AN EVEN GREATER CYCLE SPANNING SO MUCH TIME THAT ITS RELEVANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IS DIMINISHED. ONE COULD INVESTIGATE HISTORICAL OCCURRENCES DURING THE PREVIOUS EVENTS FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. TO DO SO PROPERLY ONE WOULD NEED TO GO BACK MUCH FURTHER IN TIME AND EXAMINE MANY CYCLES, BUT MY ASTROLOGY SOFTWARE ONLY IS ACCURATE TO MID 1700S. OCCULTATIONS AND ECLIPSES ARE INTERESTING REMINDERS THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS PATTERNS AND NUMEROUS CYCLES GOING ON SIMULTANEOULSY IN THE SKIES.