Greetings all,
When I was a kid at school more years ago than I care to remember, I
was taught that Lieutenant James Cook RN came out to Australia in
1770 (or was it 1772??) to have a look around, and also to observe
the "transit of Venus" in Tahiti.
OK, I know what the ToV is, but why go half-way round the world at
great expense and logistic difficulty just to see it? No one ever
explained this to me. Apparently the education department assumed
that it was self-evident!
So my question (which I am sure will be answered) is simple: why
would anyone cross the road (let alone the world in a small sailing
ship) just to see a ToV?
Thanks, John
Dr John Pickard
Senior Lecturer, Environmental Planning
Graduate School of the Environment
Macquarie University, NSW 2109 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9850 7981 (work)
+ 61 2 9482 8647 (home)
Fax + 61 2 9850 7972 (work)
