Transit of Venus brings crowds to the Department of Physics

More than 200 people came to the Department of Physics to witness a rare astronomical event, the transit of Venus across the Sun, which occurred on the evening of June 5, 2012. The visitors were able to view the transit via a webcam mounted on the Observatory's telescope, and they were also invited to view the event from the vantage point of the MacNaughton building's rooftop. In spite of some clouds early in the evening, the event was a great success.

The observation of the transit was overseen by emeritus Professor Bob Brooks, and the visitors were welcomed by Bonnie Edwards, who lectured about various aspects of the transit. Special thanks are due to Dave Urbshas for technical help, Bill Teesdale for the web broadcast, and Gilian MacPherson for hosting the Questar telescope.