Venus Transit 2004 in Slovak Republic Roman PIFFL

Venus Transit 2004 in Slovak Republic Roman PIFFL, Slovak Union of Amateur Astronomers Brandýs nad Labem, May 7 - 9, 2004

Wide colaboration Professional institutions Astronomical Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences Slovak Astronomy Society Astronomy Departure, Komenius University l Slovak Union of Amateur Astronomers (SZAA) 14 regional organizations, 400 members Center of observations – Observatory Rimavská Sobota in central Slovakia on south boundaries of republic l Public observatories - 20 observatories l Basic and secondary schools - more than 50 l Individual observers l

Public observatories in Slovakia

First contact in Slovakia

Fourth contact in Slovakia

Duration of transit in Slovakia

Peter Zimnikoval´s Aid Before Transit Our friend has very open mind and he prepared for us 2 aids. l 1. Venus mask This mask may be useful to determine times of 2 nd and 3 rd contact during the transit of Venus across the Sun. l 2. Transit simulator This software simulate transit of Venus across the solar disc on June 8, 2004. The software gives a basic images about progress of an astronomical phenomenon which nobody of us seen. Therefore may be useful as the training before observations. It shows problems with measurement of time of single contacts, too. But it is only poor imitation of the reality. Both you can find on www. venustransit. sk

Programme of SZAA l Construction of web-pages www. venustransit. sk 9 observational projects l Taking some data 1. First and fourth contact in focal plane of coronagraph + color CCD camera Soft. Hard Technology l

2. Second and third contact in 16 -cm refractor with 2 x teleconverter (f=4900 mm) + bw CCD camera Soft. Hard Technology 3. Details of transit of Venus in 16 -cm refractor with 2 x teleconverter + bw CCD camera Soft. Hard Technology 4. Transit of Venus: taking pictures of whole solar disk with Venus 300 mm teleobjective with 2 x teleconverter (f=600 mm) + bw CCD camera Soft. Hard Technology 5. Video of Transit (90/1000 mm refractor + CCD TV-camera Oscar + DCF-time inserter + videorecorder)

l Popularisation 6. On-line web-camera on pages www. venustransit. sk 7. Web-camera on azimutal mount 8. Direct „classical“ photography in focus of Coude-refractor (8 cm diameter of Sun in focal plane) 9. Grant for secondary school student – reconstruction of Maximillian Hell´s observation on June 3, 1769 in Vardo

Our problems l l How determine a correct time of contact, exactly don´t known: - where is solar limb? - how large is Venus disk on our pictures? On 4900 mm focus is diameter of Venus theoretically 206 pixels. Uncertainity 1 pixel means in time uncertainity about 6 second. . .

I don´t understand, how in 1882 and before would have taken some precise data ; ) Clear sky and good luck! luck www. venustransit. sk www. szaa. sk www. astro. sk/venus-transit-2004/