Three physics and astrophysics students studying from UCLan have observed the transit of Venus on 5-6th June 2012 from Hawaii as part of the University’s internationalisation scheme.
The picture to the right was taken by the students and shows the dark disk of Venus (to the left) as it traverses the disk of the Sun. The picture was taken using a telescope fitted with an H-alpha filter and shows the Sun’s chromosphere (the lowest part of the solar atmosphere).
The students, Chris Rowley, Calum Slater, and Ben Miller, along with staff members Drs Ian Butchart and Brett Patterson have spent the week leading up to the transit in Hawaii soaking up the local culture and sights, as well as visiting the observatories in Hawaii.
The picture to the right shows the staff and students (Ian Butchart, Chris Rowley, Calum Slater, Ben Miller, and Brett Patterson) with the H-alpha telescope and other equipment, ready to observe the transit. Several images and movies were taken and will receive further post-processing in due course.
The students have been recording their experience on both Facebook and Tumblr and the latest posts can be seen at: