UWS Observatory tracks the Transit of Venus

UWS recently welcomed local star gazers to the Penrith campus Observatory to witness a rare celestial event.

The Transit of Venus took place from 8.15am to 2.45pm on Wednesday 6 June, marking the last opportunity for most to observe the planet Venus passing directly between Earth and the Sun.

Associate Professor Miroslav Filipovic, Director of the UWS Observatory, explains that the Transits occur in cycles of more than 100 years, and in pairs.

“The first of our pair occurred in 2004. After the June 2012 Transit, Venus will not pass between Earth and the Sun again until December 2117 and 2125. Captain James Cook sailed to Tahiti to observe a pair of transits occurring in 1761 and 1769, and subsequently discovered the coast of Australia; the next transits took place in 1874 and 1882.”

In order to see the Transit clearly and safely, the use of specialist equipment is recommended. The University’s computerised telescopes were fitted with special solar and prominence filters for the occasion.

Viewed from Australia, Venus appeared as a small silhouette on the surface of the sun.

Observers were delighted to be a part of history as they witnessed the planetary Transit of Venus, the last of the only two occurrences this century.

“The Transit of Venus is an extremely important celestial event. For all of us alive today, this will be the last chance to see such an interesting and rare phenomenon,” says Associate Professor Filipovic.