Who cares about the transit of Venus? See THIS!

Well, you can't, actually. See the event itself, that is. No special glasses will help. Not even the telescopes at Mount Palomar would help.
But you can see the probable consequences of it - and, most exciting of all, you can ponder on just what it was.


I am talking about the "vast cosmic event" that appears to have happened around 774 A.D. that left a durable imprint on trees, those natural custodians of once-living history.


Here is the original article:

Vast cosmic event leaves record in ancient trees

Was it a supernova?
Was it a solar flare?
Was it a ...


This really sparked my imagination and appetite for research. But of course, not having the expertise - being a passionate lover of dendrochronology isn't enough - there's little I can do on my own.


Still, I can think and imagine... That in itself kicks butt in ways that the paltry transit of tiny Venus, parading as an unsightly pimple on the huge face of the Sun, never could.


(But Venus the Morning star, and especially Venus the Evening star, will forever remain my favourite sky sight. I love you, Venus. I just prefer you when you're transiting the twilight skies in my eyes, lighting them, instead of humbling yourself in the face of the unappreciative glare of the Sun.)