Fig 1 Click the image to enlarge

Fig 2. Click the image to enlarge

Fig 3. Click the image to enlarge

Fig 4. Click the image to enlarge

Fig 5. Click the image to enlarge

Venus Transit, 2004, June 08, from Rousay, Orkney.

This is a provisional report only. All times are GMT (UT).

Following a fine evening on the 7th, the forecast was poor for Orkney the following day. At 04h 32m this morning, the forecasters looked to be correct (Fig. 1)

Despite swathes of high cloud, some of it seeded by aircraft condensation trails, the Sun did manage to break through from time to time in the initial stages of the transit. An image close to first contact was obtained and another about three minutes later at 05h 24m (Fig. 2). (Venus is the "notch", lower left.)

The sky deteriorated rapidly for the next half hour or so but then brightened miraculously, allowing observations up to mid-transit at 08h 21m (Fig. 3).

A visit to the Rousay School at 08h 30m to demonstrate the events to pupils (using the projection method) followed and with it a general deterioration in conditions with high altitude aircraft contributing to the cause (Fig. 4)

Returning to the observatory by 10h 20m, one had to content themselves by observing visually using low powers and a smaller telescope with appropriate filters.

Nearing the end! Cloud so dense as to make observation almost impossible. Despite this a very poor image was secured at 10 52 as Venus prepared to depart (Fig. 5)

The time of last contact was made using binoculars (plus filters) and fell within 2 seconds of time with that predicted. All in all things could have been worse.

The afternoon settled into the poet's apt description for these parts of gray, upon gray, upon gray... never the less, aircraft could be heard plying their trade high up in the stratosphere.

JV

08/06/04, Rousay, Orkney