Photo by Suzanne Thompson <\/p>\n
Suzanne Thompson\/Special to the Commercial Appeal James Rickman went to Shelby Farms where members of the Memphis Astrological Society set up telescopes to view Venus' transit across the sun. <\/p>\n
Recently, when Venus made its transit across the Sun, it drew the attention of people around the world to astronomy. <\/p>\n
People gathered on the lawn of the Pink Palace Museum and at Shelby Farms Park to view this rare occurrence, which takes place once every 105 years. <\/p>\n
Members of the Memphis Astronomical Society, brought telescopes, both modern and traditional, and let people use them to observe Venus as it passed in front of the sun. <\/p>\n
John Smith, who joined MAS about a year ago, said he has had an interest in stargazing for some time, but has just taken his interest to the next level, and now considers astronomy a hobby. <\/p>\n
\"I've always wanted a telescope and finally I decided to break down and buy one.\" <\/p>\n
Smith's telescope is a modern one, called a \"Go To Telescope,\" which contains a database, and tracks the movement of stars as the earth rotates. <\/p>\n
By entering GPS coordinates the telescope will automatically move to the desired location, which can be adjusted by remote control. <\/p>\n
This was convenient when Venus made its transit across the sun, because the planet was slowly moving, and Smith could easily change the telescope's direction to keep the best view. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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