VENUS TRANSIT FROM DUBAI, U.A.E.

Take a look at maps of the Venus transit visibility on Fred Espenak's
excellent eclipse and transit web site
(http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclips...t/transit.html). You will see
that the best place on the entire planet to watch the transit was....Dubai!
The sun was overhead here at mid-transit, after starting its journey across
the sun just after a lazy breakfast at 09:18 this morning and finishing this
afternoon with the sun still 48 degrees up in the sky.

I started my astronomy hobby when I was 10 years old, back in 1968. I
soaked up information like a sponge and read all I could about the stars,
planets and eclipses. I even remember asking my father if he would let me
watch the next total eclipse due in my home country of England, on August
11th 1999. He replied that I could of course watch it and that by then I
would be old enough - at 41 years of age - to decide from where I wanted to
watch it!!

June 8th 2004 was another of those dates etched in my memory.

I could never have guessed that I would be watching the transit of Venus
2004 from the top of our villa in Dubai, in blazing heat of 40 C, with the
sun directly overhead at mid-transit, using the same 3-inch telescope bought
for me in 1968.

My father would have been proud of me!

I hope you all enjoyed your transit today.

Clear skies

Mark

"Mark HARDAKER" wrote in message ...
Take a look at maps of the Venus transit visibility on Fred Espenak's
excellent eclipse and transit web site
(http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclips...t/transit.html). You will see
that the best place on the entire planet to watch the transit was....Dubai!
The sun was overhead here at mid-transit, after starting its journey across
the sun just after a lazy breakfast at 09:18 this morning and finishing this
afternoon with the sun still 48 degrees up in the sky.

I started my astronomy hobby when I was 10 years old, back in 1968. I
soaked up information like a sponge and read all I could about the stars,
planets and eclipses. I even remember asking my father if he would let me
watch the next total eclipse due in my home country of England, on August
11th 1999. He replied that I could of course watch it and that by then I
would be old enough - at 41 years of age - to decide from where I wanted to
watch it!!

June 8th 2004 was another of those dates etched in my memory.

I could never have guessed that I would be watching the transit of Venus
2004 from the top of our villa in Dubai, in blazing heat of 40 C, with the
sun directly overhead at mid-transit, using the same 3-inch telescope bought
for me in 1968.

My father would have been proud of me!

I hope you all enjoyed your transit today.

Clear skies

Mark

While many did not have the viewing perspective you did, this is the kind
of thing that helps amateur astronomy. An event that can be seen by most
people on the path (which was quite wide) and without complex equipment or
large telescopes. I'm just thankful that the weather where I am cooperated
so nicely!
-Rich