Transit of Venus Question x2

[batema (Mark)]

Sorry for a basic question but when they used the transit of venus in the 17 hundreds to determine the value of the AU was this in miles as every reference I have seen always gives the value of the AU in Kilometers but I wonder if it must have been in miles.

Secondly I have looked at Stellarium to find the position where Venus will enter the sun as viewed from Brisbane as our school kids will be imaging this and I would like to know where to point the c8 so we can capture this.

thanks

Mark

[iceman (Mike)]

Hi Mark

This site will give you a simulation for Brisbane (or anywhere else for that matter).
http://www.sunaeon.com/venustransit/

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Great link. Thanks Mike.

[Nightshift]

Originally Posted by batema

Sorry for a basic question but when they used the transit of venus in the 17 hundreds to determine the value of the AU was this in miles as every reference I have seen always gives the value of the AU in Kilometers but I wonder if it must have been in miles.

Secondly I have looked at Stellarium to find the position where Venus will enter the sun as viewed from Brisbane as our school kids will be imaging this and I would like to know where to point the c8 so we can capture this.

thanks

Mark

To answer your first question the mean distance for AU is 149,597,870.700 kilometres or 92,955,807.2730 miles. (give or take a few centimetres/inches) I understand that measurement was done in Kilometres.

Cheers, Dennis.