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Spot in front of sun Jan 15



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 27th 05, 12:47 PM
J. Todd Wasson
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Default Spot in front of sun Jan 15

Hi guys,

I'm curious, was Venus on a direct line between Earth and the sun on January
15th of this year? While driving from Amsterdam, NL to Heidelburg, Germany, we
crossed through some clouds/thick fog at 10:30am and later on at about 12:00am.
Looking up at the sun which was dimmed quite a bit, a rather large black spot
was clearly visible in front of the sun. Figured it was Venus unless the
mothership has arrived ;-)

Anyone know what it might have been or where I could check planetary
trajectories for this type of thing?

Thanks
Todd Wasson
Racing Software
http://PerformanceSimulations.com
http://performancesimulations.com/scnshot4.htm

  #2  
Old January 27th 05, 03:09 PM
ANDREW ROBERT BREEN
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Default

In article ,
J. Todd Wasson wrote:
Hi guys,

I'm curious, was Venus on a direct line between Earth and the sun on January
15th of this year? While driving from Amsterdam, NL to Heidelburg, Germany, we
crossed through some clouds/thick fog at 10:30am and later on at about 12:00am.
Looking up at the sun which was dimmed quite a bit, a rather large black spot
was clearly visible in front of the sun. Figured it was Venus unless the
mothership has arrived ;-)


No. Last transit was 8th June last year, next one is 6th June 2012. Then
there's a wait of nearly 120 years for the next one.

Anyone know what it might have been or where I could check planetary
trajectories for this type of thing?


Fred Espernak's invaluable pages hold the answers:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclips...t/transit.html

What you saw was sunspot 720 - a very large and spectacular one. You can
see it clearly in the SoHO MDI continuum image at:

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...50115_1424.gif

HTH.

--
Andy Breen ~ Interplanetary Scintillation Research Group
http://users.aber.ac.uk/azb/
"Time has stopped, says the Black Lion clock
and eternity has begun" (Dylan Thomas)
  #3  
Old January 27th 05, 04:11 PM
J. Todd Wasson
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Posts: n/a
Default

From: (ANDREW ROBERT BREEN)
Date: 1/27/2005 8:09 A.M. Central Standard Time
Message-id:

In article ,
J. Todd Wasson wrote:
Hi guys,

I'm curious, was Venus on a direct line between Earth and the sun on January
15th of this year? While driving from Amsterdam, NL to Heidelburg, Germany,

we
crossed through some clouds/thick fog at 10:30am and later on at about

12:00am.
Looking up at the sun which was dimmed quite a bit, a rather large black

spot
was clearly visible in front of the sun. Figured it was Venus unless the
mothership has arrived ;-)


No. Last transit was 8th June last year, next one is 6th June 2012. Then
there's a wait of nearly 120 years for the next one.

Anyone know what it might have been or where I could check planetary
trajectories for this type of thing?


Fred Espernak's invaluable pages hold the answers:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclips...t/transit.html

What you saw was sunspot 720 - a very large and spectacular one. You can
see it clearly in the SoHO MDI continuum image at:


http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/..._igram_fd_2005

0115_1424.gif

HTH.

--
Andy Breen ~ Interplanetary Scintillation Research Group
http://users.aber.ac.uk/azb/
"Time has stopped, says the Black Lion clock
and eternity has begun" (Dylan Thomas)


Oh, very cool, thanks. I thought it was impossible to actually see a sunspot
with the naked eye. Apparently not! :-)




Todd Wasson
Racing Software
http://PerformanceSimulations.com
http://performancesimulations.com/scnshot4.htm

 




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