Venus visible on the Sun
Transit of Venus 2004
Amateur astronomers and members of the public turned out early to enjoy views of the transit of Venus through a range of telescopes on the 8th June 2004.
The six-inch Cooke refracting telescope in the Hampstead observatory projected large, clear images of the transit.
This was a special event for everyone present given that this was the first time since 1882 that the planet Venus has crossed the Sun. The last time an entire transit was visible from the British Isles was 1283.
The next few transits, in 2012, 2105, 2113 and 2233, will not be visible from London. The next that can be seen above the UK takes place in 2247. This was a once in a life time experience for most observers.
Submitted by: Andrew Hunt, 08 June 2004
