Sheehan and Westfall paint a picture of the history of this rare phenomenon through this years transit as well as that of June 5-6, 2012. They interweave a discussion of its scientific significance with the stories of the people who went to great lengths to be a part of its legacy, such as Jeremiah Horrocks, the first known viewer of the transit, who began his observations a whole day early in case of inaccurate calculations; Captain James Cook, who sailed halfway around the world just to take a viewing party to an advantageous point on the globe, keeping his crew healthy on the long voyage by tricking them into eating sauerkraut; and Jean Chappe dAuteroche, who paid the ultimate price to see Venuss tiny silhouette. A background in the history of astronomy is also provided, from the experiments of the ancients through the Copernican revolution to using radar to determine astronomical distances.
William Sheehan is the author or coauthor of a number of widely acclaimed books on astronomy, including Mars: The Lure of the Red Planet (with Stephen James OMeara), The Immortal Fire Within (a biography of Edward Emerson Barnard), The Planet Mars, and Epic Moon (with Thomas Dobbins). The author of over a hundred popular articles on astronomy, he is a contributing editor to Sky & Telescope, a frequent contributor to Mercury, and a 2001 fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for the "structure and evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy."
John Westfall is a professor of geography at San Francisco State University, the recipient of the Walter Haas Observing Award from the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, and the author of the Atlas of the Lunar Terminator.
"I could not put the book down! With the rare passages of Venus across the suns face as their theme, Sheehan and Westfall transport the reader through centuries of exciting historical drama. This book provides an enthralling trip through the history of astronomy." –Clark R. Chapman, Institute Scientist, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado
"A masterful work– full of mystery, intrigue, passion, and danger. A wild and enchanting romp through time, as eminent scientists, disillusioned egoists, impassioned mathematicians, and preeminent explorers chase the shadow of Venus around the globe on a grail-like quest for the perfect number." –Steve OMeara, Contributing Editor, Sky & Telescope
"A page-turning account of the circumstances and history of one of natures rarest phenomena. Passion, obsession, frustration, adventure, rivalry, and disaster–above all, the triumph of intellect to fathom the depths of space– are all exemplified in this fascinating tale of scientific endeavor." –Richard Baum, Director Emeritus, Mercury and Venus Section of the British Astronomical Association
"An exciting, colorful, and definitive account of the history of an extremely rare astronomical phenomenon. Using the detailed instructions provided, the book will inspire readers to view Venus as it transits the sun for the first time since 1882." –Steven J. Dick, NASA Chief Historian
"What a heroic human quest to catch a glimpse of Venus in Silhouette in front of the sun! The scientific payoff was nothing less than the confirmation of Copernican theory. Incredibly, transits of Venus portend the discover of dozens of earthlike planets as they transit their host suns, causing them to wink in the night sky." –Geoff Marcy, Discoverer of Extrasolar Planets, University of California, Berkeley
"Sheehan and Westfall capture the human spirit that drove a scientific collaboration spanning five centuries. This continuum of humanity painted over the petty egos of individual scientists, the setbacks of war, bad weather, and human mortality to finally take measure of the rare transits of Venus and thereby reveal the size of Venus and the earth-sun distance. Just in time for the next silhouetting of Venus in June 2004, this book shoes us why the tiny transit of Venus is a big deal!" –Debra Fischer, Professor of Astronomy, San Francisco State University
