Thais observe rare "transit of Venus"

BANGKOK, June 6 (TNA) - People in all regions throughout Thailand, like those in the world's elsewhere, eagerly observed a rare astronomic phenomenon Wednesday, the Transit of the Venus cross the Sun, from before dawn till around noon, if the weather permitted in their respective areas. In Bangkok, several groups of students, lecturers and even the general public gathered at a large open-air zone of Chulalongkorn University, for instance, to have a glimpse of the Transit of Venus cross the Sun, a once-in-a century astronomic phenomenon. In the Thai North, locals and tourists crowded a view point atop scenic Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai province to witness the rare astronomic phenomenon, but those in nearby Chiang Rai province were disappointed as they could not see the phenomenon due to the closed-sky with thick clouds. Similarly, students, the general public and tourists in other Thai regions, including those in the Northeast and the South, also eagerly watched the rare astronomic event in their vicinity. According to astronomic experts, people should never directly observed the Transit of the Venus cross the Sun, like any solar eclipse, with their naked eyes or through telescopes to avoid severe damage to their eyes, but should, instead, project the Sun's image through a pinhole or a telescope onto a piece of white paper or cardboard and view the projected image. Astronomers say that the Transit of the Venus cross the Sun is a rare astronomical phenomenon, coming in pairs eight years apart, with successive pairs separated by over 100 years. During the transit, the Venus passes directly between the Sun and the Earth with its silhouette, appearing as a dark dot, moving across the Sun's disc. Wednesday’s Transit of the Venus cross the Sun is the second one in a pair, with the first one having occurred on June 8, 2004. After this one, there will be the next Transit of the Venus cross the Sun in the next 105 years. (TNA)