The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Cloudy sky plays spoilsport

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Cloudy sky plays spoilsport

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, JUNE 8. To the stargazers in the city, the transit of Venus was a short-lived excitement.

Nevertheless, being witness to the rare celestial event thrilled the children and elders who thronged the office of the Tamil Nadu Science Forum on Tuesday.

The spectacle of Venus passing through the face of the sun drew gasps, as the people watched the reflection of the transit on a screen. " I was very much delighted to behold a tiny dark spot moving over the sun. But, unfortunately, it lasted for a few seconds between 12 noon and 12.30 p.m.," said the Forum president, P. Rajamanickam.

He told The Hindu that he observed the dark object, the size of a dot, passing over the lower portion of the sun. Venus entering into the solar plate was known as ingress, he said.

Many could not view the entire transit because of the cloudy sky. Nearly 200 persons, including a large number of children, huddled into the Forum's office on Kakkathoppu Street. The Forum set up a telescope and provided solar filters to the people to view the event. The gazers took turns to use 10 solar filters. They also gathered at Karl Marx library at Bethaniapuram and watched the event with solar filters.

Several schools in the city declared a holiday, fearing the transit might damage the retina of the gazers.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

Cameras to be installed at checkposts

Tax deduction rules changed

Local bodies told to set up compost yards

Cloudy sky plays spoilsport