ANNULAR ECLIPSE & TRANSIT OF VENUS 2012

ANNULAR ECLIPSE & TRANSIT OF VENUS 2012

These two special events for mid-2012, the Annular Eclipse and Transit of Venus, can be combined to give an exceptional holiday full of interest and extraordinary sights, or you can select either the Annular Eclipse or the Transit of Venus if your time is more limited.

Our exciting tours for the Annular Eclipse and Transit of Venus are:

11 day Annular Eclipse USA GBP £1,145 USD $1,832 14 day Annular Eclipse & San Francisco GBP £1,315 USD $2,104 20 day Annular Eclipse & Transit of Venus GBP £1,745 USD $2,792 6 day Transit of Venus Hawaii GBP £875 USD $1,400 10 day San Francisco & Transit of Venus GBP £1,245 USD $1,992

The Annular Eclipse

An annular eclipse occurs when the Sun and Moon are exactly in line, but the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun. Hence the Sun appears as a very bright ring, or annulus surrounding the outline of the Moon.

The annular solar eclipse on 20th May 2012 offers the chance to combine viewing this event with a fascinating tour through some of the most varied and exciting scenery in the world.  The incomparable Grand Canyon has to be seen to be believed, but the vast cactus forests of the Sonora Desert, the lush farmlands of the Imperial Valley and the unique Giant Meteor Crater punched into the flat plain of Northern Arizona are all impressive.

Of particular interest on the astronomical side is a visit to Lowell Observatory, famous for the discovery of Pluto, the US National Observatory on Kitt Peak near Tucson and the historic Mount Wilson Observatory in the mountains outside Los Angeles.

The Annular Eclipse Track

To view an interactive google map of the 2012 Annular Eclipse path please visit the NASA website

Please note the times and dates in the above diagram are UT time not local time.

Our Annular Eclipse viewing location

Our viewing location for the annular eclipse will be overlooking Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River, looking down the length of the Grand Canyon.  The sun will be about 9 degrees high at the time of mid-eclipse, giving a spectacular mix of light and shadows and colours.

The Transit of Venus

As the planets ply their orbits around the sun, observers on earth get an occasional sight of an unusual alignment - perhaps several of the brighter planets grouped together.  On rare occasions the alignment of one of the inner planets (Mercury and Venus) will bring it across the face of the sun as seen from earth.  A Transit of Venus occurred on the 8th June 2004 and the next transit will be 5th June 2012.  The next one after that will be 11th December 2117.

For more information on the Transit of Venus and both its historical value and how the transit has inspired modern astronomical research into other potential planetary systems please watch this video made by Chuck Bueter fromwww.transitofvenus.org

There is also an interesting documentary film project being made about the Transit of Venus called 'Our last Transit of Venus' which is definitely worth watching.

The path of the Transit of Venus

Our viewing location for the Transit of Venus

The island of Hawaii is our chosen location for observation of this rare astronomical event. We will be based in Kona on the leeward side of the island, giving the best prospect of a clear sky for the duration of the transit or Venus, together with the comfort and convenience of the resort on hand!