Post by dewayne on Jun 10, 2004 20:49:06 GMT -6
What follows is the story of the transit I filed June 8 after being at the transit.
As you will see we had a great turnout.
By DeWayne Bartels
TimesNewspapers
Sheldon Schaefer was beaming June 8, despite the hour being 5 a.m.
He stood in the parking lot of Illinois Central College’s East Peoria parking lot looking east. The sky looked clear.
Schaefer, director of the Lakeview Planetarium, needed clear skies to give the public an opportunity to view one of the rarest astronomical sights known to man — a Transit of Venus, a pair of which are visible every 122 years. The next transit will occur in 2012.
Schaefer had also enlisted the help of his fellow members in the North Peoria-based Peoria Astronomical Society. There were many hands busily putting telescopes together to beat the ticking clock.
While the telescopes were being erected the public began arriving at the dark spot. First they arrived in small groups, then larger ones.
Among the earliest to arrive was Sarah Hochstetler, 10, of Tremont.
“I’m here to see Venus go across the face of the sun,” she said.
Smiling, she added, “It’s kind of weird to get up this early when I don’t have to. But, I like astronomy.”
Aaron Schaidle, 9, of Metamora was also anxiously awaiting the event.
“It’s going to be fun. This is a once in a lifetime event and I want to see it,” he said.
His little sister Veronica, 5, wearing a welders helmet chimed in with, “Me too.”
As the sun began to peek over the horizon the pace picked up rapidly on erecting the remaining telescopes.
By the time the celestial event became visible in Central Illinois about 5:35 a.m. there were more than 200 people in attendance.
A band composed of students from Peoria Notre Dame and members of the Prairie Winds Ensemble played the “Transit of Venus March” composed by John Philip Sousa in 1882.
More than a dozen telescopes were scattered around the parking lot and grass near the college gymnaisum giving people the opportunity to watch the event. One large telescope was even attached to a television allowing a large crowd to watch at once.
Aaron Schaidle was not disappointed when he got to see the small disc of Venus pass over the tremendous face of the sun.
“I thought Venus would be a lot bigger,” the boy said. “It’s tiny, but I enjoyed it. It’s pretty cool.”
But awe was not strictly the providence of children. Carl Johnson, of Pekin, an adult, was also impressed.
“It was fantastic,” Johnson said. “It’s just amazing what’s up there to see if you get up to see it.”
The event ended too quickly for Schaefer. At about 6:20 a.m. Venus passed the sun.
Schaefer, however, was still smiling.
“The turnout was about what I should have expected,” Schaefer said. “I’ve just had incredible luck chasing eclipses. I knew this would work out.”
dbartels@timestoday.com
692-6600 ext. 212
As you will see we had a great turnout.
By DeWayne Bartels
TimesNewspapers
Sheldon Schaefer was beaming June 8, despite the hour being 5 a.m.
He stood in the parking lot of Illinois Central College’s East Peoria parking lot looking east. The sky looked clear.
Schaefer, director of the Lakeview Planetarium, needed clear skies to give the public an opportunity to view one of the rarest astronomical sights known to man — a Transit of Venus, a pair of which are visible every 122 years. The next transit will occur in 2012.
Schaefer had also enlisted the help of his fellow members in the North Peoria-based Peoria Astronomical Society. There were many hands busily putting telescopes together to beat the ticking clock.
While the telescopes were being erected the public began arriving at the dark spot. First they arrived in small groups, then larger ones.
Among the earliest to arrive was Sarah Hochstetler, 10, of Tremont.
“I’m here to see Venus go across the face of the sun,” she said.
Smiling, she added, “It’s kind of weird to get up this early when I don’t have to. But, I like astronomy.”
Aaron Schaidle, 9, of Metamora was also anxiously awaiting the event.
“It’s going to be fun. This is a once in a lifetime event and I want to see it,” he said.
His little sister Veronica, 5, wearing a welders helmet chimed in with, “Me too.”
As the sun began to peek over the horizon the pace picked up rapidly on erecting the remaining telescopes.
By the time the celestial event became visible in Central Illinois about 5:35 a.m. there were more than 200 people in attendance.
A band composed of students from Peoria Notre Dame and members of the Prairie Winds Ensemble played the “Transit of Venus March” composed by John Philip Sousa in 1882.
More than a dozen telescopes were scattered around the parking lot and grass near the college gymnaisum giving people the opportunity to watch the event. One large telescope was even attached to a television allowing a large crowd to watch at once.
Aaron Schaidle was not disappointed when he got to see the small disc of Venus pass over the tremendous face of the sun.
“I thought Venus would be a lot bigger,” the boy said. “It’s tiny, but I enjoyed it. It’s pretty cool.”
But awe was not strictly the providence of children. Carl Johnson, of Pekin, an adult, was also impressed.
“It was fantastic,” Johnson said. “It’s just amazing what’s up there to see if you get up to see it.”
The event ended too quickly for Schaefer. At about 6:20 a.m. Venus passed the sun.
Schaefer, however, was still smiling.
“The turnout was about what I should have expected,” Schaefer said. “I’ve just had incredible luck chasing eclipses. I knew this would work out.”
dbartels@timestoday.com
692-6600 ext. 212