Transit When Planets Cross the Sun When Planets Cross the Sun [Paperback]

Although transits of planets across the Sun are rare (only Mercury and Venus orbit the Sun closer than us, and so can transit the Suns disc) amateur astronomers can observe, record and image other kinds of transits that are much more frequent. This book first tells the fascinating story of the early scientific expeditions to observe transits. It then explains how to observe transits of all sorts - even transits of aircraft as they fly between the observer and the Sun.Although transits of planets across the Sun are rare (only Mercury and Venus orbit the Sun closer than us, and so can transit the Sun's disc) amateur astronomers can observe, record and image other kinds of transit, which are very much more frequent. Transit is in two parts, the first telling the fascinating story of the early scientific expeditions to observe transits. The second part is for practical observers, and explains how to observe transits of all sorts - even transits of aircraft as they fly between the observer and the Sun!1: Transits down the Ages.- 1 The Moving Planets.- 2 Transits: Why and When?.- 3 Edmond Halley and the Distance of the Sun.- 4 Transits of Mercury.- 5 Venus: The Transit of 1639.- 6 The Transit of 1761.- 7 Captain Cook and the Transit of 1769.- 8 Venus: The Transit of 1874.- 9 Venus: The Transit of 1882.- 10 The Story of Vulcan.- 11 Other Kinds of Transits.- 12 Future Transits.- 2: Observing Transits.- 13 Your Safety.- 14 Observing the Sun: Full-Aperture Filters.- 15 Projecting the Suns Image.- 16 Observing Transits.- 17 Photographing Transits.- 18 Data Capture and Manipulation.Patrick Moore tells the fascinating and often bizarre story of the early transit expeditions
The book gives practical advice on observing and recording all kinds of transitSpringer Book Archives