Venus transits our star, June 8, 2004 ...

One hundred and twenty-two years is a long time to wait, but it arrived soon enough during 2004 for astronomers eagerly anticipating the transit of Venus. Even more amazing for the astronomers who intended to observe the event from Jodrell Bank, the weather forecast was for a sunny and very warm day - and indeed it was!

During the morning of the day of the Transit, approximately 350 members of the public flocked to the Observatory to catch a glimpse of an event that had not been witnessed since the year 1882.

This transit was the first of the 'modern age'. Whilst not necessarily of any scientific interest, the event was the first to be imaged digitally (as still frames and webcam movies); seen in Hydrogen-Alpha light (which was amazing) and witnessed by literally millions of people across the planet.

I was lucky enough to have made the trip to the Sinai region of Egypt in order to guarantee cloud-free skies for an uninterrupted view of the six-hour event.

Whilst the cynical may say that the transit of Venus is merely a black dot that is seen to cross the face of the Sun, those 'in the know' knew it was much more interesting ...

Ingress - when Venus takes its first bite out of the Sun and moves directly on to the solar disk, was very interesting indeed. Many optical and 'real' effects caused by the planet moving onto the face of the Sun were seen; from the infamous black-drop effect (not seen by everyone) to a fabulous effect caused by refracted sunlight shining around the edge of Venus's atmosphere, called an Aureole.

Egress is the reverse of Ingress when Venus leaves the face of the Sun.

Most observers decided to only take cursory looks at Venus as it transited the face of the Sun (over a five hour, twenty minute period), but in my view, they missed some very intriguing things.

A few noted by myself:

• the Sun-centered side of Venus showing a 'phase'
• thin light lines either side of the planet about 1.5 hours before 3rd contact, becoming a complete ring just before 3rd contact
• a peculiar diffuse white spot directly in the centre of Venus's disk

Eight per cent illuminated Venus by Andrew Greenwood Webcam images of ingress by Andrew Greenwood Second contact blackdrop by Andrew Greenwood

Sunspots and Venus by Andrew Huggett 67 image mosiac of the entire Transit by Andrew Greenwood Third contact blackdrop by Andrew Greenwood

Transit projection by Dave Ogden Fred the weather man and Ian Morison by Barnabus Rugyendo Second contact - Ingress by John Thomson

On the roof at Jodrell Bank by David Champion Mid-transit by Richard/Andrew Jackson Transit progression by Ian Morison

Transit progression from Egypt by Tim Collins Amateur astronomers at Jodrell Bank by Chris Hall Amateur astronomers at Jodrell Bank by Chris Hall

Transit progression by Chris Hall