National orientation workshop on Great Transit of Venus on June 6

A 3-day National Orientation Workshop from May 7-9 on Transit of Venus 2012 was inaugurated by Kabyshreee Mahanta, Dy. Secretary, Deptt. Of Science & Technology, Govt. of Assam in distinguished presence of Prof. Sabyasach Chatterjee,,Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Dr. Hiralal Duorah, Ex. V.C.,Guwahati University, Dr. A.K.Goswami. Ex Principal, Cotton College.

It needs mention that on June 6, Venus will pass across the face of the Sun for the second and last time this century. Next transit of June 2012 will start at 22.09 UT (5th June 2012 i.e.03.39 IST (6th June 2012). We shall see from sunrise up to 10.19 a.m.

The transit will be best viewed from the Pacific Ocean. North America will be able to see the start of the transit, while South Asia, the Middle East, and most of Europe will catch the end of it.

Transits of Venus are historically important events. By observing a transit, astronomers could for the first time calculate the distance from the Earth to the Sun with some accuracy.

The Transit of Venus occurs at intervals of 8 years, 121.5 years, 8 years and 105.5 years. The Transit of Venus occurs in pairs (two times - eight years apart) and then followed by a gap of over 100 years. The next one will occur on June 6th, 2012, which is second of the current pair. The first one of the current pair occurred on 8th June 2004.

The next Transit of Venus is due in June 6th, 2012. The following that transit will occur in December 11th 2117. Persons living now will not see it.

Vigyan Prasar, Deptt. of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi decided to conduct 10 National Level Orientation Workshop on transit of ‘Venus 2012’ in April-May 2012 to create awareness among people throughout the length and breadth of the country. One such workshop is allotted to Guwahati Planetarium to organise with the Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomers’ Association, Guwahati (Assam).


Guwahati Planetarium and the Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomers’ Association will jointly arrange the live show of the transit of Venus through telescopes fitted with proper solar filters and also by way of projection method for the benefit of public from sunrise to 10.20 a.m. in planetarium premises on 6th June 2012.

India is well placed to see the transit from sunrise to 10.19 a.m. i.e. to the end of the transit.