On 6th June there will be a very rare astronomical event: a transit of the planet Venus across the face of the Sun. The last transit of Venus occurred on June 8th in 2004, and the next one visible from the UK will occur on 8th December 2125 (although there is another transit in 2117 which won’t be visible from the UK). The 2012 transit of Venus will be in progress by the time the Sun rises in the UK at 4:50am, and will be over by 5:55am. This means that only the very final stages of the transit will be visible from the UK, weather permitting.
The National Trust has given permission for representatives of the Peak District National Park Authority’s Dark Skies project to observe the 2012 transit of Venus from the summit of Mam Tor. Several astronomers will be on hand from 4:30am with telescopes and special glasses to allow members of the public, weather permitting, to view the transit of Venus.
peakdistrictnt.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/mam-tor-and-transit-of-venus.html
"The National Trust has given permission for representatives of the Peak District National Park Authority's Dark Skies project to observe the 2012 transit of Venus from the summit of Mam Tor."
Are the National Trust in a position to refuse permission for anyone to observe the transit of Venus from the summit of Mam Tor?
I think we should be told!
(wanders off whistling "this land is your land, this land is my land...")
There’s also a BBC Horizon Special on this at 9pm on Tuesday, 5 June. BBC2 and BBC HD.
More here - bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jszy4
@Howburn Digger
Mam Tor is access land; "organised" events such as this one do not fall under the right to roam provisions of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. The NT are very good at letting groups use their land, and they are keen to promote Mam Tor as a place to enjoy the night skies of the Peaks.
Cheers
John