Next Venus Transit

There seemed some confusion on various BBC radio and TV programmes
today as to whether or not people alive today will see another Venus
Transit from England.

A question of academic interest.
Is the solar system likely to last long enough for the transits of
Mercury and Venus to occur at the same time? In fact has it already
happened over the last few billion years?
John
East Devon

Remove "s" from upslyme when replying.

"John H Wood" wrote in message
...
There seemed some confusion on various BBC radio and TV programmes
today as to whether or not people alive today will see another Venus
Transit from England.

There is another one in 2012. There is a map.
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclips.../Map2012-2.GIF


A question of academic interest.
Is the solar system likely to last long enough for the transits of
Mercury and Venus to occur at the same time? In fact has it already
happened over the last few billion years?

There will not be any simutaneous transits of Mercury and Venus in the near
future. By near future, I mean that this occurs once every 10,000 years or
so. I don't have the exact dates. So yes, it has happened before, and will
happen again.

In the year 571,741 there will be a simultaneous transit of Earth and Venus,
as viewed from Mars.

Marcus

In the year 571,741 there will be a simultaneous transit of Earth and
Venus,
as viewed from Mars.


will have to book myself in to be woken up for that one

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004 23:32:49 +0100, "Marcus Fox"
wrote:


"John H Wood" wrote in message
...

A question of academic interest.
Is the solar system likely to last long enough for the transits of
Mercury and Venus to occur at the same time? In fact has it already
happened over the last few billion years?

There will not be any simutaneous transits of Mercury and Venus in the near
future. By near future, I mean that this occurs once every 10,000 years or
so. I don't have the exact dates. So yes, it has happened before, and will
happen again.

That often.


In the year 571,741 there will be a simultaneous transit of Earth and Venus,
as viewed from Mars.

I can imagine the propotents of space travel getting excited about
trips to Mars to see the event.

Cheers
John
East Devon

Remove "s" from upslyme when replying.

In message , Marcus Fox
writes

"John H Wood" wrote in message
...
There seemed some confusion on various BBC radio and TV programmes
today as to whether or not people alive today will see another Venus
Transit from England.

There is another one in 2012. There is a map.
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclips.../Map2012-2.GIF


A question of academic interest.
Is the solar system likely to last long enough for the transits of
Mercury and Venus to occur at the same time? In fact has it already
happened over the last few billion years?

There will not be any simutaneous transits of Mercury and Venus in the near
future. By near future, I mean that this occurs once every 10,000 years or
so. I don't have the exact dates. So yes, it has happened before, and will
happen again.

The definitive answer to this is probably the article in the June issue
of the Journal of the BAA, where the authors say simultaneous transits
can't occur now, because the lines of nodes aren't the same, but the
lines are moving together.
Wait until July 26, 69163!
Might be worth getting Jan Meeus' book on transits, to see if he
discusses transits of Mercury from Venus, Jupiter from Saturn, and so
on.

"Jonathan Silverlight" wrote
in message ...
The definitive answer to this is probably the article in the June issue
of the Journal of the BAA, where the authors say simultaneous transits
can't occur now, because the lines of nodes aren't the same, but the
lines are moving together.
Wait until July 26, 69163!
Might be worth getting Jan Meeus' book on transits, to see if he
discusses transits of Mercury from Venus, Jupiter from Saturn, and so
on.

OK, what about a transit of... say, Mars over Jupiter rather than the sun?
Or am I just getting too complicated...

In message , James
writes

"Jonathan Silverlight" wrote
in message ...
The definitive answer to this is probably the article in the June issue
of the Journal of the BAA, where the authors say simultaneous transits
can't occur now, because the lines of nodes aren't the same, but the
lines are moving together.
Wait until July 26, 69163!
Might be worth getting Jan Meeus' book on transits, to see if he
discusses transits of Mercury from Venus, Jupiter from Saturn, and so
on.

OK, what about a transit of... say, Mars over Jupiter rather than the sun?
Or am I just getting too complicated...


You mean as seen from Earth? I suspect those are very rare indeed,
though again I suspect Dr. Meeus has done the calculations. For
instance, the article mentions that on 21 September 13425 Venus will
occult Mercury. (That's too far ahead for Guide 8. Does any planetarium
program go that far?)
--

Remove spam and invalid from address to reply.

"Jonathan Silverlight" wrote
in message ...
In message , James
writes

"Jonathan Silverlight"
wrote
in message ...
The definitive answer to this is probably the article in the June issue
of the Journal of the BAA, where the authors say simultaneous transits
can't occur now, because the lines of nodes aren't the same, but the
lines are moving together.
Wait until July 26, 69163!
Might be worth getting Jan Meeus' book on transits, to see if he
discusses transits of Mercury from Venus, Jupiter from Saturn, and so
on.

OK, what about a transit of... say, Mars over Jupiter rather than the
sun?
Or am I just getting too complicated...


You mean as seen from Earth? I suspect those are very rare indeed,
though again I suspect Dr. Meeus has done the calculations. For
instance, the article mentions that on 21 September 13425 Venus will
occult Mercury. (That's too far ahead for Guide 8. Does any planetarium
program go that far?)

Yeah, that's what I was thinking..... although "occultation" is probably the
word I should have used!

"John H Wood" wrote in message
...
There seemed some confusion on various BBC radio and TV programmes
today as to whether or not people alive today will see another Venus
Transit from England.
Even worse, some BBC commentator stated that this was the last time we would
see Venus for another 122 years.

Jo

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004 23:54:15 +0100, "Jo"
wrote:


"John H Wood" wrote in message
...
There seemed some confusion on various BBC radio and TV programmes
today as to whether or not people alive today will see another Venus
Transit from England.
Even worse, some BBC commentator stated that this was the last time we would
see Venus for another 122 years.

Yes as Venus left the face of the Sun the comment was goodbye to
Venus.
John
East Devon

Remove "s" from upslyme when replying.