07 June 2012

Presenting Venus!

Venus favors the bold.

~~ Ovid {Publius Ovidius Naso}, Roman Poet, traditionally ranked alongside Virgil and Horace as one of the three Canonic Poets of Latin literature, 43 BC – AD 17/18


The smallest children are nearest to God, as the smallest planets are nearest the sun.

~~ Jean Paul Richter {Johann Paul Friedrich Richter}, German Romantic Writer, Novelist, and Humorist, 1763-1825


As many of you are aware, Venus, the planet of Love and Beauty, completed a rare transit of the Sun, which is when Venus passes directly between the Sun and the Earth, on Tuesday/Wednesday, 5/6 June 2012. Unless you plan to live to a very ripe old age, this was a once in a lifetime event as the next transit of Venus will not occur until 11 December 2117. That would make me 798 dog years old! But that's O.K. because isn't 798 the new 564? Just sayin'...

If I eat healthy, don't slack on exercise, and maintain a positive and happy disposition, I think I can make it to 798 dog years.

Anywoofs, my human, K, and her brother headed out to capture Venus using binoculars and blank sheets of paper. K is a scientist and loves astronomy. Below are just a few of their results:

First attempt, approximately one hour after the start of the show. {It's the little black dot, lower right.}

A little later. Incredible! {It's the little black dot, lower right.}

That is Venus, folks! {It's the little black dot, lower right.}

~~ MOMENT OF BEAUTY ~~

Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr, The heliocentric motions of the inferior planets Mercury and Venus during the year 1710 with two diagrams depicting the transit of Mercury across the Sun on 5 November 1710 and the (predicted) transit of Venus across the Sun on 6 June 1761 [Venus in her chariot passes between the Sun and Earth], circa Unknown (first published in Johann Baptist Homann’s Atlas von hundert Charten (Nuremberg, 1712))

Ford Madox Brown, Crabtree Watching the Transit of Venus AD 1639, circa 1879-1893 (mural at Manchester Town Hall, Greater Manchester, England)

Alexandros of Antioch, Venus de Milo (or, Aphrodite of Milos), circa 130 and 100 BC (Musée du Louvre, Paris, France)

Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus (or, La Nascita di Venere), circa 1482-1486 (Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy)

Back to me...

K's brother, in a burst of creative thinking, decided to capture Venus on his Mercedes-Benz. It turned out to be more difficult than thought, but still, even I concur the results are very cool:

Venus in the Mercedes-Benz logo. {It's the little black dot, a little bit left of center at bottom of logo.}

How cool is that? {It's the little black blurry dot, middle right edge of logo.}

This got me thinking, why didn't K have a burst of creativity and capture Venus on me? I probably would have been the only pup in the World to have had a planet on me!

Nice try but Venus is not elongated.

Very good, almost had me fooled.

I don't think Venus looks like a Ladybug.

I suppose I could wait 105 years for my next chance at getting a picture of Venus on me. But probably by then I could just put on a jet pack and fly there myself for a picture of me on Venus. I'm just sayin'...

24 comments:

Angels Amber and Max DaWeenie and Mom said...

Those pictures are great! We missed the show so I think we'll have to catch the next one! Just sayin'

:o)

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Hi Suka
I guess we missed it too. Shucks!
Well we get to enjoy your photos,, and they really did turn out great.
I love things like that, but somehow I must have been day dreaming about something else!
I am glad you got to watch it.
love
tweedles

Finn said...

Wow! Great catch with those shadows! I am so impressed. We missed it totally here!

Tanner and Beth said...

Wow! It was cloudy here, so we couldn't see it. Glad you shared the shots.

Doggy Kisses,
Tanner

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

Fun post, Suka - Mom says she thinks she could find lots of Venus specks on Lightning after he hops in her garden.

Great work from Mom and her brother - great captures of the big event.

Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

WFT Nobby said...

Hi Suka, you are so lucky to live in a sunny country!
Toodle pip!
Bertie.

Teddy Bear said...

What great photos, Suka! We especially love the lady bug on your paw.:)

Love,
Teddy Bear & Sierra

Donna said...

Dat ladybug looks at home in teh floof. :)

Oskar said...

Cool pics! My peeps missed it completely, so I'm glad I got to see it on your blog.

Nubbin wiggles,
Oskar

As Aventuras de Billy said...

Suka!! Q vênus lindo passou por você!
hahahaha!
Gostei muito....infelizmente aqui em são paulo - brazil- não pude ver... o tempo etava muito nublado, perdi esse efeito lindo que venus fez com o sol...
agora só daqui a 100 anos isso acontecerá de novo!
Será que estarei vivo até lá?
hahahha!!!
ahhhh, vim aUqui tambéem pra dizer q tem um desafio mt legal lá no meu bloginho p você!!!
É novo na blogosfera!!!
Passa lá p/voce brincar !!!
É muito legaal!!!
Lambeijosss com cheirinho de ração!!! hihih

Golden Woofs! SUGAR said...

Woof! Woof! Mom saw it ... there were different scientist on the beach that day. Oh that's how you took a photos ... many says it could damage the lens of a camera so we did not even try. How COOl it is!!! Always lovely to see n read your blog comments. We just posted more photos of the Protea flowers + information. Check it out! Happy Weekend. Lots of Golden ALOHA n Woofs, Sugar

White Dog Blog said...

Suka, we love that K and her brother had a little creative science fun! We, too, got out to witness the event...it was very cool people were standing all along Route 66 in the funny safety glasses gazing up at the sky. It made us feel very connected to the world at this special moment.

A lady bug is no less important than a planet! And you held her on your paw as she rested...you are a great protector of the wonders of the universe.

haopee said...

Hello Dear Suka,

I just wanted to drop by and greet you a happy weekend.

By the way, I gave you the Sunshine Award in this post http://www.mydogslove.me/2012/06/awards-sunday.html

I do hope you could find some time to accommodate it.

Huggies and Cheese,

Haopee

Anonymous said...

Hey Suka, Jet here.

Nice to make your acquaintance thanks to the recommendation of My Dogs Love Me.

Thanks for the science lesson and experiment. Mom knew about the Venus transit, too, however, not in such detail. :)

Mary Lou said...

Suka....
First off, I love the picture of you!! It is pretty!! ;op
Second, I missed Venus, too!! Sigh.... :-(
Love, Raelyn.... And Rose, my BEAUTIFULLY UNIQUE "Mystery Dog"!!

Peggy Frezon said...

The ladybug is even prettier than the pictures of Venus! Nice to make a new friend, too!

Kirsten (peacefuldog) said...

Wow that is really cool! We love astronomy too, and too seldom set aside time to appreciate it. You guys did a great job with your own mini science fair.

As Aventuras de Billy said...

Heeeey, suka!!
Sempre lembro de você!!!
E que bom que gostou das respostas de minha mamãe!!
E que bom também que vai participar desse desafio, é muito divertido....
e aí dá para conhecermos mais os humanos dos cachorros, né?!
Quando você postar eu venho aqui para saber mais de voces!!!
hahahah
Não esqueça de passar este desafio para 11 amigos!!!
Lambidas!!!!

Brutus, Ellie, Pippa and Otto said...

Wow, that so cool that your human used binoculars to capture the transit of Venus like that!

Pugs & Kisses,

Brutus & Ellie

Duendes said...

Hello Suka,
How interesting...I had never seen before ... venus you're really my friend simpatico.I really liked the new look of reader photo...is very beautiful.
big hugs and blessings.

White Dog Blog said...

Hey Suka! Your new header is perfection! It captures the elegant ruggedness of you...as well as your poetic charm! Is this K's artistry... kudos to her computer talents!

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

What a pawesome post!

I know woo were the inspiration fur K ;-)

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
PeeEssWoo: Woo asked about dark shapes/spots on some of the pikhs - well, those are inside the lens - Mom is bummed - and tries to khrop 'em out when she khan - we just don't want to get a new khamera bekhause of them...

Chicco said...

I love your photos, Suka!
You were so lucky to see Venus!!!
Wow!!!
So nice your ladybug :)
Woof, woof,

Chicco

Anonymous said...

What fun! Pretty neat how y'all captured Venus on the paper. She seems so small! Big heart I hear ;) Luv your lady bug venus Suka :D

Waggin at ya,
Roo