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The U.S. Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific
agencies in the country. Established in 1830 as the Depot of Charts
and Instruments, its primary mission was to care for the U.S. Navy's
chronometers, charts and other navigational equipment. Today, the U.S. Naval Observatory is the preeminent authority in the areas of Precise Time and Astrometry, and distributes Earth Orientation parameters and other Astronomical Data required for accurate navigation and fundamental astronomy.
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"Animation" of the 11 surviving glass plate images (from nearly 1700 that were made) of the 1882 Transit.
Click on the thumbnail to see a full-sized AVI...
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On Tuesday, 2004 June 8, one of the rarest astronomical events known to us occurred as the planet Venus passed between the Earth and the Sun. The alignment of these celestial bodies was so close that the dark disc of Venus was seen to slowly move from east to west across a chord of the southern hemisphere of the Sun's disc. It is a pretty safe bet that nobody alive today witnessed the previous Transit of Venus, which occurred on 1882 December 6. More information may be found here.
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