Stardate

Episode: Transit of Venus Highlights
Broadcast Info: 2004 (59 mins)
Description: Culmination of the BBC’s coverage of the Transit of Venus, an incredibly rare astronomical event when Venus passes over the face of the Sun. Adam Hart-Davis is at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, reporting on the event and bringing in results from round the world.
A transit has only ever been seen on five occasions, last time in 1882, and each time it has generated great scientific excitement because it gives a way to measure the distance between Earth and the Sun. In fact Capt. James Cook’s first trip south was not just to explore Australia, but to observe the transit of 1769 from Tahiti. This time astronomers are hoping that the latest solar telescopes and pictures from space will give them the best ever view of the transit.
The programme includes the results of the Open University’s attempt to get viewers nationwide to time the Transit and make a super-accurate measurement of the Astronomical Unit - the distance to the Sun. But will results be affected by the notorious "black drop" that so troubled Cook in Tahiti, and made it impossible for him to get accurate timings?
Venus passing in front of Sun Royal Observatory Greenwich 1882 transit measure distance between Earth & sun Cook Capt. 1769 transit Tahiti solar telescopes Astronomical Unit black-drop effect
Genre: Science; Astronomy

The Open University, "Stardate". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/6851 (Accessed 11 Jan 2025)

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