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Modelling and the Transit of Venus
Modelling and the transit of Venus Dave Quinn University of Queensland <[email protected]> Ron Berry University of Queensland <[email protected]> Introduction enior secondary mathematics students could justifiably question the rele- Svance of subject matter they are being required to understand. One response to this is to place the learning experience within a context that clearly demonstrates a non-trivial application of the material, and which thereby provides a definite purpose for the mathematical tools under consid- eration. This neatly complements a requirement of mathematics syllabi (for example, Queensland Board of Senior Secondary School Studies, 2001), which are placing increasing emphasis on the ability of students to apply mathematical thinking to the task of modelling real situations. Success in this endeavour requires that a process for developing a mathematical model be taught explicitly (Galbraith & Clatworthy, 1991), and that sufficient opportu- nities are provided to students to engage them in that process so that when they are confronted by an apparently complex situation they have the think- ing and operational skills, as well as the disposition, to enable them to proceed. The modelling process can be seen as an iterative sequence of stages (not ) necessarily distinctly delineated) that convert a physical situation into a math- 1 ( ematical formulation that allows relationships to be defined, variables to be 0 2 l manipulated, and results to be obtained, which can then be interpreted and a n r verified as to their accuracy (Galbraith & Clatworthy, 1991; Mason & Davis, u o J 1991). The process is iterative because often, at this point, limitations, inac- s c i t curacies and/or invalid assumptions are identified which necessitate a m refinement of the model, or perhaps even a reassessment of the question for e h t which we are seeking an answer. -
Lomonosov, the Discovery of Venus's Atmosphere, and Eighteenth Century Transits of Venus
Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 15(1), 3-14 (2012). LOMONOSOV, THE DISCOVERY OF VENUS'S ATMOSPHERE, AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TRANSITS OF VENUS Jay M. Pasachoff Hopkins Observatory, Williams College, Williamstown, Mass. 01267, USA. E-mail: [email protected] and William Sheehan 2105 SE 6th Avenue, Willmar, Minnesota 56201, USA. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The discovery of Venus's atmosphere has been widely attributed to the Russian academician M.V. Lomonosov from his observations of the 1761 transit of Venus from St. Petersburg. Other observers at the time also made observations that have been ascribed to the effects of the atmosphere of Venus. Though Venus does have an atmosphere one hundred times denser than the Earth’s and refracts sunlight so as to produce an ‘aureole’ around the planet’s disk when it is ingressing and egressing the solar limb, many eighteenth century observers also upheld the doctrine of cosmic pluralism: believing that the planets were inhabited, they had a preconceived bias for believing that the other planets must have atmospheres. A careful re-examination of several of the most important accounts of eighteenth century observers and comparisons with the observations of the nineteenth century and 2004 transits shows that Lomonosov inferred the existence of Venus’s atmosphere from observations related to the ‘black drop’, which has nothing to do with the atmosphere of Venus. Several observers of the eighteenth-century transits, includ- ing Chappe d’Auteroche, Bergman, and Wargentin in 1761 and Wales, Dymond, and Rittenhouse in 1769, may have made bona fide observations of the aureole produced by the atmosphere of Venus. -
Transit of Venus Presentation
http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2012/transit/webcast.php Venus visible Venus with the unaided eye: "morning star" or the Earth "evening star. • Similar to Earth: – diameter: 12,103 km – 0.95 Earth’s – mass 0.89 of Earth's – few craters -- young surface – densities, chemical compositions are similar • rotation unusually slow (Venus day = 243 Earth days -- longer than Venus' year) • rotation retrograde • periods of Venus' rotation and of its orbit are synchronized -- always same face toward Earth when the two planets are at their closest approach • greenhouse effect -- surface temperature hot enough to melt lead M ikhail Lomonosov, june 5, 1761 discovered, during a transit, that V enus has an atmosphere The atmosphere is is composed mostly of carbon dioxide. There are several layers of clouds, many kilometers thick, composed of sulfuric acid. Mariner 10 Image of Venus V enera 13 Venus’ orbit is inclined (by 3.39 degrees) relative to the ecliptic If in the same plane we would have 5 transits in 8 years Venus: 13 years , Earth: 8 years Each time Earth completes 1.6 orbits, Venus catches up to it after 2.6 of its orbits Progress of the 2004 Transit of Venus pictured from NASA's Soho solar observatory. Credit: NASA Ascending (A) or Duration since last transit Date of transit Descending (D) node (years and months) 6 December 1631 A 4 December 1639 A 8 yrs 6 June 1761 D 121 yrs 6 months 3 June 1769 D 8 yrs 9 December 1874 A 105 yrs 6 months 6 December 1882 A 8 yrs 8 June 2004 D 121 yrs 6 months 5 June 2012 D 8 yrs 11 December 2117 A 105 yrs 6 months 8 December 2125 A 8 yrs In 6000 years 81 transits only Venus’ Role in History Copernican System vs Ptolemaic System http://astro.unl.edu/classaction/animations/renaissance/venusphases.html Venus’ Role in History Size of the Solar System - Revealed! • Kepler predicted the transit of December 1631 (though not observed!) and 120 year cycle. -
History of Science Society Annual Meeting San Diego, California 15-18 November 2012
History of Science Society Annual Meeting San Diego, California 15-18 November 2012 Session Abstracts Alphabetized by Session Title. Abstracts only available for organized sessions. Agricultural Sciences in Modern East Asia Abstract: Agriculture has more significance than the production of capital along. The cultivation of rice by men and the weaving of silk by women have been long regarded as the two foundational pillars of the civilization. However, agricultural activities in East Asia, having been built around such iconic relationships, came under great questioning and processes of negation during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as people began to embrace Western science and technology in order to survive. And yet, amongst many sub-disciplines of science and technology, a particular vein of agricultural science emerged out of technological and scientific practices of agriculture in ways that were integral to East Asian governance and political economy. What did it mean for indigenous people to learn and practice new agricultural sciences in their respective contexts? With this border-crossing theme, this panel seeks to identify and question the commonalities and differences in the political complication of agricultural sciences in modern East Asia. Lavelle’s paper explores that agricultural experimentation practiced by Qing agrarian scholars circulated new ideas to wider audience, regardless of literacy. Onaga’s paper traces Japanese sericultural scientists who adapted hybridization science to the Japanese context at the turn of the twentieth century. Lee’s paper investigates Chinese agricultural scientists’ efforts to deal with the question of rice quality in the 1930s. American Motherhood at the Intersection of Nature and Science, 1945-1975 Abstract: This panel explores how scientific and popular ideas about “the natural” and motherhood have impacted the construction and experience of maternal identities and practices in 20th century America. -
The Earth Observer. July
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The Earth Observer. July - August 2012. Volume 24, Issue 4. Editor’s Corner Steve Platnick obser ervth EOS Senior Project Scientist The joint NASA–U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat program celebrated a major milestone on July 23 with the 40th anniversary of the launch of the Landsat-1 mission—then known as the Earth Resources and Technology Satellite (ERTS). Landsat-1 was the first in a series of seven Landsat satellites launched to date. At least one Landsat satellite has been in operation at all times over the past four decades providing an uninter- rupted record of images of Earth’s land surface. This has allowed researchers to observe patterns of land use from space and also document how the land surface is changing with time. Numerous operational applications of Landsat data have also been developed, leading to improved management of resources and informed land use policy decisions. (The image montage at the bottom of this page shows six examples of how Landsat data has been used over the last four decades.) To commemorate the anniversary, NASA and the USGS helped organize and participated in several events on July 23. A press briefing was held over the lunch hour at the Newseum in Washington, DC, where presenta- tions included the results of a My American Landscape contest. Earlier this year NASA and the USGS sent out a press release asking Americans to describe landscape change that had impacted their lives and local areas. Of the many responses received, six were chosen for discussion at the press briefing with the changes depicted in time series or pairs of Landsat images. -
Maximilian Hell of Shining Stars
Obverse Coin details The coin’s obverse design depicts Father Hell as a Denomination: €10 standing astronomer observing a starry night sky through a period telescope. At the left edge is the Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper Slovak coat of arms, and in the lower centre, betwe- Weight: 18 g en the figure and the telescope, are the coin’s deno- Diameter: 34 mm mination ‘10’ and currency ‘EURO’, one above the other. The name of the issuing country ‘SLOVEN- Edge lettering: PRIEKOPNÍK MODERNEJ SKO’ appears along the upper edge of the design, ASTRONOMICKEJ VEDY) followed by the year of issuance ‘2020’. At the lower (Pioneer of modern astronomy) right are the stylised letters ‘KL’, referring to the de- Issuing volume: limited to a maximum of signer Karol Ličko, and the mint mark of the Krem- 11,000 coins nica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the Designer: Karol Ličko letters ‘MK’ placed between two dies. Engraver: Filip Čerťaský Producer: Kremnica Mint Published by Národná banka Slovenska, May 2020 © Národná banka Slovenska 2020 19th century illustration entitled “Transit of Venus in 1761” Original Slovak text written by Dr Ingrid Kušniráková Photographs: www.alamy.com, Reverse www.slovenskivynalezcovia.webz.cz www.nbs.sk/sk/bankovky-a-mince/ 300th anniversary of The reverse depicts, on the right side, Father Hell eurove-mince/zberatelske dressed for his journey to the Arctic Circle, where the birth of he observed the transit of Venus across the Sun. The transit is shown on the left side above a cluster Maximilian Hell of shining stars. In the midst of the stars are dates of Father Hell’s birth ‘1720’ and death ‘1792’, one abo- ve the other. -
Venus Transit 5−6 June 2012 (From 22:00 to 4:56 UT) Australia, Japan, Norway
Venus Transit 5−6 June 2012 (from 22:00 to 4:56 UT) Australia, Japan, Norway Objective The main objective of the venus-2012.org project is the observation of the Venus Transit that will take place on 5th/6th June 2012 (see Fig. 1) from three locations: Australia, Japan and Norway. In particular the project will: 1) Perform live broadcasting of the event (sky-live.tv). 2) Promote educational activities usingFIGURE images 1 obtained during the transit (astroaula.net). Global Visibility of the Transit of Venus of 2012 June 05/06 Region X* Greatest Transit Transit at Zenith Transit Sunset Sunset Begins Ends at at IV I IV I Transit at at Entire Ends No Transit III II III II Sunrise in Progress Begins Transit Sunrise in Progress Transit at Sunset Visible Transit Visible at Sunrise Transit (June 05) (June 06) Region Y* F. Espenak, NASAs GSFC eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/transit12.html * Region X - Beginning and end of Transit are visible, but the Sun sets for a short period around maximum transit. * Region Y - Beginning and end of Transit are NOT visible, but the Sun rises for a short period around maximum transit. Figure 1. Earth map showing visibility of the Venus transit in 2012 (credit F. Espenak, NASA/GSFC). The Phenomenon A transit of an astronomical object occurs when it appears to move across the disc of another object which has a larger apparent size. There are different types of transits, like the Galilean moons on Jupiter’s disc, and exoplanets moving across their mother star. -
Camoenae Hungaricae 6(2009)
Camoenae Hungaricae 6(2009) ANDREA MOLNÁR MIHÁLY PAINTNER’S MANUSCRIPT BIOGRAPHY ON MAXIMILIAN HELL Maximilian Hell (1720–1792), Maria Theresa’s royal and imperial astronomer was a well-known figure of the scientific life of contemporary Europe. He published his astro- nomical yearbook (Ephemerides Astronomicae) annually from 1756 to his death in 1792 reporting his astronomical observations, theoretical conclusions. Maximilian Hell, how- ever, made his reputation in 1769, when invited by King Christian VII of Denmark and Norway to the small town of Vardø situated beyond the Arctic Circle, he gave the scien- 1 tific description of the transit of Venus in front of the Sun. Hell also made various scien- tific observations in the Scandinavian peninsula. The succeeding generations did not cherish his memory (and his fellow Jesuit brothers’) as it would have been appropriate for his importance, albeit he can be honoured not only as a famous astronomer but also as a linguist who, among others, lay the scientific foundations of the Finno-Ugrian linguistic 2 relation. There is only scattered information of his life and works available. History of science is still to come up with an up-to-date monograph based on the thorough study of sources.3 The first steps were only taken in recent years to present his astronomical and geophysical results and evaluate them on the basis of his published and unpublished 4 works from the perspective of the history of science. The current knowledge of Maximilian Hell is not much greater than it was at the end of the 18th century. The pursuit of the history of literature and science started spreading in that century in Hungary, therefore more and more educated people engaged in compil- ing encyclopaedias of writers. -
The Icha Newsletter Newsletter of the Inter-Union Commission For
International Astronomical Union International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science DHS/IUHPS ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE ICHA NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER OF THE INTER-UNION COMMISSION FOR HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY* ____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ No. 12 – November 2011 SUMMARY A. C41/ICHA Programme at the 2012 Beijing IAU General Assembly by C. Ruggles ............................................................................................................ 2 B. 2012-2015 C41 Organizing Committee Elections by C. Ruggles ……...…… 3 C. Journals and Publications: - Acta Historica Astronomiae by H.W. Duerbeck ........................................ 4 Books 2011 …………………………………………………………………. 5 Some research papers by C41/ICHA members – 2011…… ........................... 5 D. News - Formation of Johannes Kepler Working Group by A. E. L. Davis ………. 5 - The Transit of Venus Working Group Activities by H. W. Duerbeck ….. 6 o Solar parallax Conference (Announcement) o Venus Transit Conference (Announcement) o Special Venus Transit issue of JAHH (Announcement) - Sullivan Papers Available by E. N. Bouton ..…………………………… 7 - History of astronomy in India by B. S. Shylaja …………….………….… 8 - 3 rd Conference on Cultural Astronomy by E. Badolati…………..………. 9 - Nexus International Conference on Architecture and Mathematics by G. Magli ……………………………………………………………………. 10 E. ICHA Member -
Denmark–Norway, 1761–1769: Two Missed Opportunities?
MEETING VENUS C. Sterken, P. P. Aspaas (Eds.) The Journal of Astronomical Data 19, 1, 2013 Denmark–Norway, 1761–1769: Two Missed Opportunities? Per Pippin Aspaas University Library of Tromsø, N-9037 Norway Abstract. Despite a promising start in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Denmark–Norway was not a Great Power of Astronomy any longer when the eight- eenth-century transits of Venus occurred. Official activity relating to the transit of 1761 was very limited; in this respect, Denmark–Norway was completely overshad- owed by Sweden and Russia. In 1769 steps were taken to invite an astronomer of international reputation, the Jesuit Father Maximilianus Hell. He arrived in 1768 and left the country two years later, having published an elaborate report in the name of the King Christian VII. Although Hell’s observations from Vardøhus were successful, Denmark–Norway failed to re-establish itself as a country capable of deliv- ering noteworthy contributions to the European community of astronomers. Sweden and Russia displayed a higher level of activity, both quantitatively and qualitatively, making the impression of Denmark–Norway’s lagging behind even stronger. 1. Introduction Throughout the eighteenth century, the northernmost part of Europe was divided between three powers: Denmark–Norway, Sweden, and Russia. They all encom- passed territories with very similar advantages as far as the transits of Venus were concerned. However, the history of Venus transit activity in the three countries men- tioned is far from uniform. Other contributions to these Proceedings analyze Venus transit activities in Sweden (Widmalm) and Russia (Bucher). There are also case studies on individual astronomers active in these parts (Pekonen, St´en & Aspaas, Voje Johansen, Kontler). -
Transit of Venus M
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The Transit of Venus June 5/6, 2012 HD209458b (HST) The Transit of Venus June 5/6, 2012 Transit of Venus Mathof Venus Transit Top Row – Left image - Photo taken at the US Naval Math Puzzler 3 - The duration of the transit depends Observatory of the 1882 transit of Venus. Middle on the relative speeds between the fast-moving image - The cover of Harpers Weekly for 1882 Venus in its orbit and the slower-moving Earth in its showing children watching the transit of Venus. orbit. This speed difference is known to be 5.24 km/sec. If the June 5, 2012, transit lasts 24,000 Right image – Image from NASA's TRACE satellite seconds, during which time the planet moves an of the transit of Venus, June 8, 2004. angular distance of 0.17 degrees across the sun as Middle - Geometric sketches of the transit of Venus viewed from Earth, what distance between Earth and by James Ferguson on June 6, 1761 showing the Venus allows the distance traveled by Venus along its shift in the transit chords depending on the orbit to subtend the observed angle? observer's location on Earth. The parallax angle is related to the distance between Earth and Venus. Determining the Astronomical Unit Bottom – Left image - NOAA GOES-12 satellite x-ray image showing the Transit of Venus 2004. Middle Based on the calculations of Nicolas Copernicus and image – An observer of the 2004 transit of Venus Johannes Kepler, the distances of the known planets wearing NASA’s Sun-Earth Day solar glasses for from the sun could be given rather precisely in terms safe viewing. -
Newsletter 75 – October 2011
COMMISSION 46 ASTRONOMY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT Education et Développement de l’Astronomie Newsletter 75 – October 2011 Commission 46 seeks to further the development and improvement of astronomical education at all levels throughout the world. ___________________________________________________________________________ Contributions to this newsletter are gratefully received at any time. PLEASE WOULD NATIONAL LIAISONS DISTRIBUTE THIS NEWSLETTER IN THEIR COUNTRIES This newsletter is available at the following website http://astronomyeducation.org (this is a more memorable URL for the IAU C46 website than www.iaucomm46.org, to which the new URL links) and also at http://physics.open.ac.uk/~bwjones/IAU46/ IAU C46 NL75 October 2011 B W Jones 1 of 23 30/10/11 10:12 BST CONTENTS Editorial The Editor is to retire Message from the President The forthcoming transit of Venus DVD for teaching basic astronomy Vinnitsa planetarium Space scoop Virtual experiments Latin-American Journal of Astronomy Education (RELEA) Netware for astronomy school education (NASE) From Hans Haubold at the UN Book reviews The sky’s dark labyrinth Atlas of astronomical discoveries News of meetings and of people Cosmic rays SpS17: light pollution Useful websites for information on astronomy education and outreach meetings Information that will be found on the IAU C46 website Organizing Committee of Commission 46 Program Group Chairs and Vice Chairs IAU C46 NL75 October 2011 B W Jones 2 of 23 30/10/11 10:12 BST EDITORIAL Thanks to everyone who has made a contribution to this edition of the Newsletter. Please note the text in this Editorial highlighted in RED. For the March 2012 issue the copy date is Friday 16 March 2012.