Community Corner

WATCH: 'Wow!' Maryland Observes Venus Transit

'It looked like the sun almost had a hole in the corner.' - Ryan Lindsey, 6.

This story has been corrected to reflect the viewing event happened in Woodstock.

More than 200 people gathered at the Howard County Conservancy in Woodstock with goggles and telescopes to see a shadow that won't be seen from Earth for another 105 years.

Scientists and casual astronomers gazed at the between 6 and 8 p.m. Tuesday in hopes of spotting our warmer neighbor in the solar system.

"The first time the clouds parted, a lady was over here, and her first words were, 'Wow!'" said Eddie Crawford, a member of the Howard Astronomical League.

Did you watch the 2012 transit of Venus Tuesday? What did you think? Tell us in comments.

Find out what's happening in Laurelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


The first accounts of a transit by Venus helped early astronomers to estimate the size of the solar system, according to the Baltimore Sun. Scientists were able to study the most recent occurrence in 2004, but this celestial outing was casual to many folks.

Ryan Lindsey, 6, watched the transit through his father's telescope.

"It looked like the sun almost had a hole in the corner," Lindsey told Patch.

Kids and adults looked through dozens of telescopes, mostly owned by residents. The telescopes had white light filters for safe viewing, because direct viewing of the sun can damage the human eye.

Find out what's happening in Laurelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

See Patch Maryland coverage of the transit of Venus.


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