Crowds gather in S'pore to watch Venus transit

• QX179R

  6 Jun 12, 18:22

  SINGAPORE: Crowds gathered in Singapore on Wednesday morning to witness one of the rarest sights in astronomy.

  From 6.15am, Venus could be seen travelling across the sun as a small black dot.

  Six hours later, the silhouette of the planet slowly made its exit.
  
  The phenomenon occurs because the orbits of Venus and Earth are aligned with the sun.
  
  This rare event happens only four times every 243 years.
  
  The next alignment is expected in 2117.
  
  As early as 10pm on Tuesday, close to 200 astronomy enthusiasts were camped at a field in the National University of Singapore, armed with telescopes.
  
  Some 3,000 people gathered at the Singapore Science Centre.
  
  Associate Professor Phil Chan of the Department of Physics at NUS, said the rare phenomenon can help astronomers look for the existence of other solar systems.
  
  "During the transit, the sun's rays will not be as strong... (and) we can (use) it to look for extra solar planets," he said.
  
  - CNA/cc

• the Bear

  6 Jun 12, 18:31

  i missed this because of a *&$#^ meeting which i didn't have to go to on my day off!! 

  but.. i'll go to the next one 

• Hitman 01

  6 Jun 12, 19:16

  u should have watched the moon the other day!!!!

• BadzMaro

  6 Jun 12, 19:19

  Lets you appreciate the size of the sun. lol.

   

• speakoutfor

  7 Jun 12, 14:11

  What is the hype? Just a dot in the sun.

• 6u3king

  7 Jun 12, 16:14

  dissapointed i was thinking that i will be watching Venus the goddess of love and beauty

  

• ^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~

  7 Jun 12, 16:36

  Originally posted by the Bear:

  i missed this because of a *&$#^ meeting which i didn't have to go to on my day off!! 

  but.. i'll go to the next one 

  
  next one's 2117 dude~

   

  U'll have to... eh... learn the ways of the undead