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Transit of Venus
29°39' N,  82°21' W
Altitude: 50 Meters (more or less)		   Updated June 10, 2004
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PICTURES FROM AAC MEMBERS OF THIS TRANSIT -- CLICK HERE!


NEWS RELEASE
JUNE 8 TRANSIT OF VENUS EVENT
(Free and Open to the Public)

Only five such transits have been observed in the last 400 years
and no one living today has ever seen this event!

Transit of Venus (click for more info) IN 2004 AND 2012 VENUS WILL CROSS THE SUN'S FACE.

(See figure on left for simulation—animation by H.L. Cohen)

These events are among the rarest of all planetary alignments. In fact, the last such occurrence was in the year 1882.

More than one century will elapse before these transits occur again. Indeed, few humans have ever seen Venus cross the Sun's disk.

Transits of Venus are easily seen only with telescopes and only six transits of Venus have occurred since the telescope was invented in the early seventeenth century: 1631, 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874, and 1882. Don't miss one of nature's most remarkable and rarest celestial events! More info here.

THE ALACHUA ASTRONOMY CLUB, INC. and FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY will host a viewing of the Transit of Venus early in the morning on Tuesday, 2004 June 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. EDT.

Viewers will be able to observe this rare phenomenon from the top level of the University of Florida Cultural Plaza Parking Garage with special telescopes provided by the Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc.

Date: Tuesday Morning, June 8, 2004

Viewing Time: 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. (Don't be late!)

(AAC members who plan to set up telescopes should arrive by 5:30 a.m. to get set up so everything is ready to go by sunrise!)

Although the full transit runs from 1:13 a.m. to 7:26 a.m EDT, sunrise does not occur in Gainesville until 6:29 a.m. EDT so only the last hour or so may be visible (probably less due to horizon haze and clouds)

Sunrise: 6:29 a.m. EDT

Venus Begins to Leave Sun's Disk 7:07 a.m. EDT

Transit Over: 7:26 a.m. EDT (Sun's Altitude 11 degrees)

Viewing Location:

University of Florida Cultural Plaza Parking Garage
Opposite Powell Exhibition Hall
(Florida Museum of Natural History)
UF Campus, Gainesville, FL

Map (Powell Hall is between the UF Performing Arts Center & Harn Museum of Art)

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