My account of Sketching the transit of Venus on 8th June 2004 at the 3rd
and 4th contact.
On June 8, 2004, I had an excellent opportunity to
observe the transit of Venus from Tehran, for which I thank my friend Dr Mansour
Vaisali.
What follows is from my journal and sketches, with my comments. I made some quick sketches on a small notebook with a pen and made notes. Then, after the event, I made the refined sketches. I have no specialised training in sketching, but I have been trying my hand at it. I had used a 2H pencil to make the sketches.
Year (2004) Month 6 Date 8
"It's a transit day. Manosur called me at 7:30 a.m. or so and asked me to be at the Sharif University gate (the place where he had put me in) by about 9:15 a.m. He arrived at 9:20. We first went to Nojum office and collected a telescope and some Nojum magazines and went to a Pardisan Park (Park-e'-Jangali-ye-Pardisan) where they have a bio-diversity museum. We quickly set up the telescope and magazine/Nojum stall and were ready for the transit to begin at 09:48 (Iran time). After the second contact, life was relaxed - not too many people came - the total may have been close to about 300, not more. Met some lovely people who visited us. There was a TV crew - spoke to the camera.
Since the crowd was less and just about 20 odd people at the 3rd contact, I decided to observe the transit and sketch the progress between the 3rd and 4th contact.
After the contact, we returned to the Nojum Office, where we were scheduled to meet an official. But before their arrival, I had enough time (more than 30 min) to make my first basic sketches.
Projected image of the Sun and Venus
It was a busy day for me, but one of the relaxed ones too - no dinner tonight. We picked up some food, and Mansour dropped me at the University by about 9:30 p.m., and then I took about an hour completing my sketches."
Transit of Venus
Predictions for Tehran, Iran
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| Contact | time (Iran) | Alt |
| First | 09:48 | 46 |
| Second | 10:07 | 50 |
| Mid | 12:15 | 77 |
| Third | 15:32 | 55 |
| Forth | 15:51 | 51 |
While making the sketches, I had focused only on the area where Venus touched the solar limb. Though I 'looked around' I did not bother to sketch any other features such as sunspots nor do I remember if I saw any.
The time recorded was Tehran time, but again, it was not very important. It took me about 10 to 12 seconds to make a quick, rough drawing and write the time.
Drawings and notes
The telescope: Refactor 80 mm / f 900,
Eye piece 34 mm
Angular diameter of Venus was 57.74"
In the sketch below, the sun is white, the sky and silhouetted Venus are dark.The telescope: Refactor 80 mm / f 900,
Eye piece 34 mm
Angular diameter of Venus was 57.74"
Could it be possible that I was looking at scattered sunlight from the upper atmosphere of Venus.
Sketch 0 (not here)
15:28:30 Can't say seeing black drop - black line joining Venus and the limb of the Sun.
Sketch #1
About 3 min before the third contact at 15:29, the solar limb appears to be pushed upward, with a clear white gap between it and Venus. The angular diameter of Venus was 57.74"
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Sketch #2
Just about a minute before the 3rd contact (15:32) at 15:31:03, I noted that there were two arms at the side of Venus, as if two black drops on the side, and there was a distinct curved white gap between the sun and Venus.
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Sketch #3
15:31:30 may be the black drop. A 30-second before the third contact (15:32) at 15:31:03, noted possibly the black drop.
Sketch #4
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Sketch #4
Now this is interesting - Venus is just touching the limb of the Sun or slightly on its way out, the sky is dark, of course, and I see a distinct white curve shimmering just above the solar limb, as if the solar limb is pushed up.
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Sketch #5
This looked very much like the sun was setting over the sea. The points where Venus' disk was touching the solar limb appeared to be curved outwards.
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Sketch #6
15:35:00 - it is like sunset as in sketch 5 above, but the shimmering upper portion as in sketch 4 is gone now.
Sketch #7
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Sketch #7
I now see a touch between the boundaries of silhouetted Venus and the Sun.
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Sketch #8
15:38:30 again, a slight curving like that in #6
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Strong winds are shaking the telescope
Changed the eye piece to 12.5 mm
15:43:00 Venus is half gone
Sketch #9
Saw the advancing limb of Venus outside the solar limb as a white line making an arc. First, I thought it was a trick my eyes were playing, but then there were two clear instances of it, so I sketched it.
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Sketch #10
15:44:30 - It is not a half circle anymore, but kind of two white curves from either side.
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Sketch #11
15:45:15 and 15:45:47 One more clear upper (half) ring and one shimmering for just half a second or so. Fourth contact was at 15:51
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Sketch #12
We are nearing the 4th contact (15:51), and 3 min earlier, at 15:48, I see one more instance of the upper shimmering.
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Sketch #13
An obvious notch was seen - the instances 12 and 13 were almost like mirror images, but in negative.
It's gone now
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It's gone now
Two pages from my notebook on which I made my quick sketches
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| Pages from my small notebook |
