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Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, meaning that today in the northern hemisphere the sun reaches it's highest point in the sky. It marks the beginning of summer. The Maya celebrated the summer solstice (and even the winter solstice) and they built their temples so that the sun would line up with them at the equinoxes. If you ever get the chance to witness sunrise or sunset on the summer solstice at any of the Maya ruins it is quite the site.
Starting tomorrow, June 21, 2012, we start to lose daylight hours. The sun will start to set later and later, by minutes on the clock, until we reach the winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year, and then our days will gradually get longer, for the sun cycle to continuously repeat itself. Hope everyone enjoys this longest day of the year!
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 Photo by Bonnie Bley copyright 2012 If you missed it, here it is! The Transit of Venus. A rare celestial event, but one that the Maya cherished and celebrated. Earth, Venus, and the sun lined up, with Venus crossing between the sun and earth. This photo was taken by my Nikon D80 attached to a telescope with a solar lens.
The first scientific observation of a Venus Transit was in 1639. Other Venus Transits happened in 1761 & 1769, 1874 & 1882, and then again in 2004 & 2012. One part of the world sees the transit the first year and then the other half of the world sees it the second time, so unless you are traveling to opposite ends of the earth you will only witness one of the pairs of the Venus Transit. 1639 was the last Transit of Venus documented before the invention of the telescope in the modern world. The Maya weren't the only Venus worshipers. Ancient Romans, Greeks, Egyptian, Babylonian, and Chinese also tracked Venus cycles, but none had as precise tables as the ancient Maya.  Today is the day of a rare celestial event that the Maya celebrated. The Venus Transit. This is where the planet Venus crosses between the planes of earth and the sun. It happens in pairs with eight years in between sightings. Today is the second pairing of this occurrence. In North America Venus Transit can be seen at sunset. In Europe, parts of Africa, and the Middle East Venus Transit will be seen at sunrise.
I am really looking forward to being able to view this amazing site as it won't occur again until 2117 and 2125. Unless you are planning on cryogenics, I suggest you find out where you can view this rare occurrence. For more information on the Transit of Venus, how to view it, when to view it, and locations to view it, visit www.TransitofVenus.org It finally happened! In May my website hit 1,222 visitors. Thanks for visiting and tell your friends to visit my site and buy my book. :)
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AuthorBonnie Bley is an Award Winning Author. She is a native of Wyoming, spent her formative years in the border reservation town of Hardin, MT, situated in the southeastern corner of Montana. Her educational journey took her to Aberdeen, SD, and Bloomington, MN, where she honed her skills and knowledge. In the late Archives
December 2024
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