Transit of Venus Program
June 8, 2004

For images of the 2004 transit of Venus, see www.transitofvenus.org/images.htm.   

On June 8, 2004, a rare transit of Venus occurred when the planet Venus passed between the sun and the earth.  Preparations are underway for the next transit of Venus in June 2012.   In historic expeditions, explorers spanned the globe to time transits of Venus, from which the scale of the solar system was calculated.  In the modern era, NASA's Kepler mission and other spacecraft will seek earth-class planets by detecting planets transiting distant stars. 

The Transit of Venus program is a collection of educational resources for multiple users--planetarians, astronomy clubs, libraries, teachers, and other astronomy education enthusiasts.  The program features a combined DVD and data CD set, an audio CD, a slide set of 200+ images excerpted from the DVD, and supporting web pages.  

Credit: Chuck Bueter	Credit: Chuck Bueter	Credit: Chuck Bueter	Credit: Chuck Bueter	Credit: Chuck Bueter	Credit: Chuck Bueter
Credit: NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio	Credit: SOHO  (ESA & NASA)	Credit: Astley Hall Museum and Art Gallery	Credit: University of Oklahoma Libraries, History of Science Collection	Credit: SOHO  (ESA & NASA)	Credit: Transit of Venus Program

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge image.)

The Transit of Venus DVD either can be viewed as a stand-alone DVD show or can be the foundation of a planetarium program.  The DVD is divided into chapters to give users the option of selecting specific topics tailored to the audience.  

The Data CD contains over 200 individual images excerpted from the DVD; contact sheets with thumbnail images; videos and animations as MPEG-1 files; the show script with image and time cues; and image credits and links.   

Over 200 images excerpted from the DVD are available as a Slide Set, which you can order (see below) at a group rate through the Great Lakes Planetarium before January 15, 2004.

An Audio CD contains the complete songs that are heard on the DVD show, including John Philip Sousa's Transit of Venus March; the AstroCapella song Dance of the Planets with accompanying lesson plan; and the music of Matt Rumley.

The collection of resources debuted at the 2003 Annual Conference of the Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA).  The following documents support the Transit of Venus program (If a dialog box asks for a network password, click Cancel):

• Transit of Venus READ ME document (recommended)

• Transit of Venus DVD Chapters 

• Transit of Venus Audio CD Contents 

• Transit of Venus Script 

• Transit of Venus Thumbnail Images 

• Transit of Venus Videos and Animations 

• Transit of Venus Image Names, Credits, and Notes 

• Transit of Venus Order Form

• Transit of Venus Errata and Planetarium Notes

GLPA members and non-members alike can purchase the combination DVD and data CD set, the audio CD, or the slide set from the GLPA while supplies last.  

Note: The GLPA shipped a free copy of the DVD and the data CD to all GLPA members in December, 2003.  

To place an order now, send a completed Order Form with payment (payable to GLPA) to David Leake:

David Leake 
William M. Staerkel Planetarium
Parkland College
2400 West Bradley Avenue
Champaign, IL 61821-1806
E-mail (preferred): dleake@parkland.edu
Phone: (217) 351-2567

To prepare for the June 8th, 2004, transit of Venus, an event not seen by any human then alive, we recommended these starters:

• www.transitofvenus.org  
  Contains extensive links with thumbnail images, instructions on how to observe the transit of Venus safely, hands-on activities for all ages,  tutorials, historical images, current science missions, and much more.  

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)  
  Basic information about the 2004 transit of Venus; what it is; when, where, and how it can be seen; the significance of transits; links to student observing projects; and where to get more information.

• http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/sunearthday/2004/index_vthome.htm
  An extensive collection of Sun-Earth Day resources from the fun folks at the Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum.

• Activities from Paper Plate Education:

	Transit of Venus Introduction   The original Paper Plate Education introduction to the transit of Venus.
	http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/Transit%20of%20Venus/activity.htm Hands-on activity to record 2004 transit of Venus on a paper plate akin to the first record of Jeremiah Horrocks in 1639.
	http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/Transit%20of%20Venus/transit_frequency.htm Hands-on activity that illustrates and explains the irregular frequency of transits of Venus.

The resources for the Transit of Venus program were made possible in part by a 2003 Toyota TAPESTRY grant, which is funded by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and is administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).  The Transit of Venus program is listed under the Physical Science Applications.  The Project Director is Art Klinger of the Penn-Harris-Madison Planetarium & Air/ Space Museum in Mishawaka, Indiana. 

The server space for this website is courtesy of the Office of Space Science (OSS) Center for Education and Outreach at DePaul University.

http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/Transit%20of%20Venus/Internet%20caveat.htm
Caveat about believing everything you see on the Internet (including here).

Your comments, suggestions, and educational contributions are always welcome.  Please e-mail us at bueter@transitofvenus.org.

Paper Plate Education "Serving the Universe on a Paper Plate"

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All other uses require the express written permission of the respective contributors.

Copyright ©2007 Chuck Bueter.  All rights reserved.