Transit of Venus, 2012

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 3:17 am

Malin Head is exactly like that.
Throw in howling coastal winds and your there.
I was up there last year in the 'summer' and although a fairly
ok day inland a bit, the head itself was like something out of the lost world.
I reckon your dead right, the guys up there would have the local insight for where to go. Isn't there an eclipse happening as well sometime in the near future partially visible from the north too?

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Thu May 17, 2012 6:09 pm

ok guys,
Had a look in starrynight and these are the approx times,
Limerick sunrise is 5.14am
Dublin is 5.00am
North Antrim coast , 4.47am, best place on the island.

the further east and north you are, the better.

I'm surprised (happily btw) how much better Dublin is suited to this then Limerick, I would suggest that we join the IAA crew up north is the weather permits up north, the further the sun is above the horison, the better.
This is so we can get it well above any sea haze that might be there,
Remeber how the horison haze lost of some valuable time for the Barcelona eclipse...

For me the priority is
North Antrim (Torr head has been suggested)
Dublin,
then Tountinne Mountain near Killaloe.
see http://irishastro.org.uk/venustransit.html for more up north options

but of course this is all weather dependent, we'll have a better idea what to do a few days out form the event.

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Tue May 22, 2012 4:31 pm

Hi guys

Got an email back from Stephen and this is what it said...

Hi Roy

We would be delighted if you guys wanted to come up and join us.

We will almost certainly be heading for a car park just above the village of Carncastle, not too far from Larne, although a final decision has yet to be made.

Apparently, from this spot, we will only miss the first couple of minutes of sunrise. It is very easy to find, and I will provide more details if and when you confirm you are coming up.

Stay in touch.

Stevie

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Tue May 22, 2012 4:55 pm

do you mean Stephen Beasant??, and did you contact him on the clubs behalf ?

anyway, I've been on the ifas boards and have observing sites for the IAA, NIAAS, SDAS and IAS in Dublin, see
http://www.irishastronomy.org/index.php ... d=40#94004

So we have our pic of the crop.

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Tue May 22, 2012 5:54 pm

No I contacted him off my own bat,
But its nice to see we have a good few
options dependent on the weather..

Also got some good news on my filter..
The guy has shipped me 1 for my scope
for no extra cost, and it only cost me 10euro
to send the other 1 back to the states... So Happy Days..

Here is the site in-case any wants to have a look at what they have..

http://www.astrozap.com/scripts/prodVie ... product=72

By the way if you do want to get a filter make sure you pick the size that fits the outside diameter of your scope and not the aperture...(mistake I made) ha ha.

Cheers Roy

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Tue May 22, 2012 8:03 pm

well, thats good news on the filter.

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Tue May 22, 2012 9:35 pm

Hey Guys...

Just received this email from Paul of I.A.A..

Hello Roy,

Many Thanks for your enquiry. We are intending to meet at Garron Point on the Antrim Coast Road at 0430 on 6th June. This site is the best location on the island of Ireland in terms of providing the longest possible view of the Transit with a sunrise uninterrupted by land. There are theoretically better sites further north but the sunrise takes place over the Mull of Kintyre which tends to negate any advantage. Garron Point also has reasonable car parking facilities, and there is a second car park a short way up the road if we find the level of interest is such that we need it.

From your point of view the worst aspect of this site is that it is 40 miles north of Belfast, and whilst the first half of the journey is Motorway and fast A road, the second half is more fiddly and it will take an hour from Belfast. But as a site, it's the best.

So in terms of joining us there, you're more than welcome, it is always nice to share these events with like-minded folk. It would be helpful if you could give us an idea of how many of you we could expect, and we'll probably be cooking some bacon butties or similar, so bear that mind too.

We will be finalising the details at our Council meeting next Thursday, though most of it is done - see our website http://irishastro.org and the linked page giving Terry Moseley's evaluation of the possible sites.

If you have any questions at all, please ask!

Best Regards,

Paul

Paul Evans
IAA President

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Wed May 23, 2012 5:17 am

interesting. good options there! well ive tue an wed booked off work.
gettin my gear sorted now today. same setup as barcelona plus filter.
weather is not good btw. ive been doing some forcasting. will keep ye posted.

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Wed May 23, 2012 9:32 am

hey Frank, its really great to see you on board, all we can do now is wait to see what happens with the weather , fingers crossed !!!

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Thu May 24, 2012 2:44 am

Yip. Let's hope the weather is good.
The trip up north would be expensive in terms of fuel (probably would want to
Stay a night in a b&b too or you'd be a mess driving back) I figure your talking close to €200

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Thu May 24, 2012 9:53 am

All set now, got my replacement
filter this morning, its a bit tight
but I'll get over that... Happy days.

Now all we need is the weather
to play ball.

Cheers Roy

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Sat May 26, 2012 12:17 pm

Just to mix things up.
Terry mosleys email points out that the place in he north might not actually be
Giving you extra minutes because of Mul of kintyre causing an obstruction
He reckons it'll knock 7 min off the sunrise. He also says the best place taking local horizon into account is Skerries.
Forewarned lads!

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Sat May 26, 2012 1:14 pm

Ya got that email aswell..
But I think they're hitting
a place on Garron rd its a little
further south with a full view of the
Horizon...

All we need now is this weather
to hold up.. But this astronomy in Ireland
a bit of hit and miss.

Cheers Roy

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Sat May 26, 2012 9:10 pm

well, it is a factor, all the same if I was up there I'd be finding a site where the mountains in scotland would be out of the way as much a possible.
I wonder why skerries in particular, the guys in Dublin haven't mentioned it,

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Sat May 26, 2012 9:53 pm

the IAA guys are using Garron Point, here is where it is

http://www.collinsmaps.com/maps/United- ... 38.00.aspx

Had a look at starrynight and sunrise happens at an azimuth of 49 degrees, given that and looking at google earth, I can now see why Skerries has been picked out interms of as good a horizon as possible while been as far north as possible.

The IAA guys have made out that scotland will not be a factor for their site at Garron point, I dont know a program that can work out mountain elevations given a distance and curvature of the earth, but I'd trust they know the area, its a hell of a drive, one I'd look forward to doing if the weather swings that way.