Here's the latest article from the Astronomy site at
BellaOnline.com. Transit of Venus - Captain Cook 1769 How big is
the Solar System? 18th century astronomers tried to find out by
sending expeditions around the world to measure a transit of
Venus. One of these was Captain Cook's voyage to Tahiti. He went
under the auspices of the Royal Society, but he carried secret
orders from the government. *More about Transit of Venus* June
5/6 2012 is our last chance to see this very rare astronomical
event. Here is some more background information. Transit of
Venus – Measuring the Solar System On June 8, 2004 millions of
people witnessed an event that no one still alive had ever seen:
a transit of Venus. Another one will occur in June 2012 and then
not again for over a hundred years. What is a transit of Venus?
How did it help to work out the size of the Solar System? An
observatory that a king built to watch the 1769 transit of
Venus. The place where official time for London used to be set.
Where a murderer was somet