Transit Of Venus

Above: Danielle DeBow got a good image of the event!


I was getting ready to head over to Davis yesterday evening for the DMTC Board meeting, when I remembered - oh crap! - a once in a lifetime opportunity: The Transit Of Venus! It's happening right now! So I grabbed three pair of sunglasses and ran out in front of the house to stare at the sun.

Damn, that disc is bright! I think I just made out the dot of Venus by carefully examining the brilliant background. Then I ran back inside with my seared retinas, bumping into furniture along the way, then blindly jumped into the car and barreled west on Highways 50 and 80, calm in the knowledge that another life milestone was accomplished.

Reminds me, I knew a fellow in Tucson who, one day, became enamored with the Beauty of the Sun. He stared at the sun for twenty minutes, without eye protection. Apparently no one in his life ever told him that staring at the sun was a bad idea, and he didn't feel any notable pain. He was left with seared retinas that never quite healed, so, even today, he can't identify people as they approach at night. He was easy to scare at night: he couldn't tell if others were friends or foes. Boo!