www.transitofvenus.orgobs2004.htm

This is the best starting place, with further links. Observing techniques, safety, historical notes, animations and other software are available.

www.dsellers.demon.co.ukvenusven_ch_frames.htm

David Sellers has based some of this site on his wonderful book, The Transit of Venus (see right). This site also has links, particularly to European sites, of which the French Institut de mecanique celeste et de calcul des ephemeredes is among the best.

www.nauticoartiglio.lu.italmanaccotrans_venus_en.htm

An Italian site with a transit computer.

http:analyzer.depaul.edupaperplatetransit.htm

This advertises a DVD which features masses of information, pictures, animations and even music (including Sousa’s Transit of Venus March) http:didaktik.physik.uni-essen.debackhausVenusprojectProblems.htm

A site which invites world-wide collaboration. There are a number of preparatory projects described, including measurements of the radius of the Earth and the distance of Venus from the Sun as well as a paper on measurement of the transit itself. Definitely one for the advanced observer.

http:sunearth.gsfc.nasa.govsunearthday2004index_vthome.htm

An excellent US site, using Fred Espenak prediction charts and tables. This has a lot of useful general solar project information for all ages and abilities.

www.chocky.demon.co.ukoasvenus.html

A page by the Orpington Astronomical Society, which has some very clear descriptions of what transits are.

Books

* The Transit of Venus: the Quest to Find the True Distance of the Sun by David Sellers (MagaVelda Press pound;12.95). This is a gem of a book with fascinating accounts of intrepid adventures over the centuries.

* Transit: When Planets Cross the Sun by Michael Maunder and Patrick Moore (Springer-Verlag pound;19). Like David Sellers, these two authors concentrate on the historical aspects of transits for the first part of the book, while the second part concerns the practical side of observing these phenomena

* The Transit of Venus: the Brief, Brilliant Life of Jeremiah Horrocks, Father of British Astronomy by Peter Aughton (Weidenfeld and Nicolson pound;18.99). A comprehensive life of Horrocks; its publication will coincide with the transit itself.

Further reading and links: www.phys.uu.nlvgentvenusvenustransitbib.htm