Transit of Venus Finding May Help Detection of Exoplanet Magnetic Fields
November 2016 :
I'm sure there are some of you out there as entranced with the planet Venus as I am. After all, it is the planet closest to us in distance, size, and gravitation, yet, is as far from us as possible with its horrendous temperature, stifling atmosphere, and ability to change anything attempting to land on the surface into a pancake. Yet, when you look up at it, you are seeing what our ancestors thought was such a beautiful object that they named it after the god of love and beauty. If they only knew.
Hopefully, some of you have been able to notice that Venus is once again coming into our evening sky. As the brightest object after the Sun and the Moon, Venus should be able to be recognized in the west right after sunset, although some people might report it as a UFO. If you know of any who do, please let them know what it is, and that it belongs there.
Also, many of us were able to observe Venus transit the Sun in 2012 – some hopefully also witnessed it eight years earlier. This unique observation, of Venus crossing the solar disk, won't happen again for any of us alive today; the next is over a hundred years away, in 2117. However, unknown to many of us, the last transit, in addition to being observed by millions of people on Earth, also was observed by an X ray telescope aboard the Hinode craft, which was set to monitor both Venus and the Sun during this time. Its findings included information concerning solar radiation interacting with Venus's magnetic field and being scattered along its tail.
This is important, as it could not only inform us as to Venus's magnetic environment, but could be a useful tool in aiding us to better understand magnetic fields of exoplanets situated close to their home star.
For us, though, just being able to look at the brilliance of our neighboring planet, despite the knowledge it is giving us, is enough for many of us on a clear, early evening. Venus will be with us for several months, so please go out whenever you can and enjoy the beauty, and mystery, that is within our sight.
