For the love of Venus

摘要

As the world goes Venus-mad this week, spare a thoughtforthe plucky astronomers sentto observe the transits of 6June 1761 and 3 June 1769. Only two people-had watched the previous transit in 1639 ― the first ever observed ― and astronomy had come a long way since then. Urged to make the most of this rare celestial event by English astronomer Edmond Halley, Britain, France and other nations organised expeditions to remote spots all overthe globe. Some were famously successful. James Cook's expedition to newly discovered Tahiti in 1769 was blessed with perfect conditions: "not a Clowd was to be seen the whole day and the Air was perfectly clear". Not one to do things by halves, Cookalso mapped the coast of New Zealand, claimed the east side of Australia for Britain and discovered a clutch of South Sea islands. Forothers.thingsdidn'tgoquitesosmoothly...