ROMANIAN COSMOPOETIC STORIES
ABOUT THE VENUS TRANSITS
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Artwork by Ildiko Magdolna (high school student, Cluj-Napoca, Romania);
first published in ESO’s Venus Transit 2004
The pair of Venus Transits in the 17th century
brought for the first time
a poem dedicated to this phenomenon
(written even by he who primordially studied it).
The pair of Venus Transits in the 18th century
brought for the first time
artworks dedicated to this phenomenon.
The pair of Venus Transits in the 19th century
brought for the first time
photographs and even a march dedicated to this phenomenon.
The pair of Venus Transits in the 21st century
brought for the first time
many other things in humanist astronomy,
including among them a couple of anthologies,
particularly of astropoetry
and generally of astro-photo-art-poetry or cosmopoetry,
made by the representatives of a nation
and dedicated to this phenomenon.
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
Venus Transit 2004 at Admiral Vasile Urseanu Bucharest Municipal Observatory;
credit Adrian Bruno Sonka
VENUS TRANSIT 2004
-Romanian Cosmopoetry-
All began when, before the transit,
Andrei Dorian Gheorghe published an astropoem
in the famous Astronomical Calendar 2004 by Guy Ottewell
(made in cooperation with an international super-team
and sponsored by the Astronomical League and Furman University, USA):
In other space,
for other time,
Miss Venus (eternal beauty)
and Mr. Sun (master of our daylight)
will be married.
Don't you see?
Lunettes are singing,
telescopes are dancing,
astronomers are fascinated.
Be sky guests, dear friends,
this is a great wedding party
in the solar system.
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
*
After the transit (2004 June 8th),
SARM made a Romanian astropoetry anthology in the English language
(coordinated by the same Andrei Dorian Gheorghe).
This initiative convinced the staff of the European Southern Observatory
to open a new chapter, Writings, in their Venus Transit 2004 international project.
Finally, ESO’s Venus Transit Writings published 29 poems from 3 continents:
Europe (27 from SARM, Romania), Africa (1 from Egypt)
and Australasia (1 from New Zealand).
In the meantime, we decided to republish the Romanian astropoems
in a new arrangement, enriched by 3 mottos
and some of the best Romanian astrophotographs
(made especially by members of the Bucharest Astroclub and SARM).
*
Mottos:
“Do not leave for 2012 what you can do in 2004!”
-Alin Tolea
(Romanian astronomer who saw the Venus transit 2004 in the USA)-
“The superb phenomenon was as if something would have sucked the Sun…”
-Eugen Florin Marc, Targu Mures-
“I was also surprised to see the Venus Transit so easily,
maybe because of the contrast between
a so black point and a so shiny disk…”
-Ovidiu Vaduvescu
(Romanian astronomer who saw the Venus transit 2004 in Canada)-
*
-astro-photo-art Zoltan Deak , Bucharest-
*
at the Sun's gate
dark Venus:
the transit of the spring!
-Tina Visarian , Cluj-Napoca-
*
On the edge of the solar disk,
Venus, tapered like a tear,
imploring the star of life
to draw it for our eyes
waken up from the sleep
of the cloudy days.
-astro-photo-art-poem Dan Mitrut , Bacau-
*
Helios in his chariot of fire
Raising into a magic moment
For a dream of astral love.
Discreet greatness - fecund Venus.
-Victor Chifelea , Bucharest-
*
After more than a century
of castling, the Sun and Venus
are walking together.
(Is the "black drop" of Venus
a cosmic tear of joy?)
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe , Bucharest-
*
-photographic poem Catalin Beldea , Bucharest-
*
our wakening
with the Venusian rise
in the orange of the Sun...
-Ion Moraru , Bucharest-
*
-photo Octavian Stanescu , Timisoara-
*
silence all around:
the thrill of the transit
overflowing the sky
-Tina Visarian , Cluj-Napoca-
*
Face to face with the Sun,
even Planet Venus' brilliance
becomes night.
Face to face with the Sky,
we're in debt to receive modestly
its high Light.
-astro-photo-poem Valentin Grigore , Targoviste-
*
people and short escapes into space
thin cloud trying
to eclipse Venus trying
to eclipse the Sun
another emotion
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe , Bucharest-
*
Venus commits a big breach
Relaxing on the Sun's beach!
-Sefora Molnar , Sighet-
*
-photo Jan Ovidiu Tercu , Galati Observatory-
*
With my open eyes,
I look at this world.
There are so many ways, my God,
to die on Earth!
And when I see a spot
attacking the Sun,
I can easily think of
a real contest of the darkness.
But... let's be realistic:
at the same time
life in its infinite magnitude and splendour
does not cease
its frantic, victorious assault.
-Dominic Diamant , Bucharest-
*
-astro-photo-art Calin Niculae , Bucharest-
*
The Sun in Gemini
Venus in the Sun
illusory twin feelings
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe , Bucharest-
*
I didn't see the first part
of the Venus transit across the Sun
because of the clouds.
After some implorations,
the sky recovered.
The same about my ETX telescope
which at first showed a strange image.
After some good hits,
the telescope recovered.
-astro-photo-poem Alexandru Conu , Magurele-
*
King Sun presenting
his Queen Venus.
It is the transit. The transit!
-Gelu-Claudiu Radu , Cluj-Napoca-
*
Even Venus takes light
from the Sun
two times in a century
to give it to us on Earth
in the clear nights...
-Valentin Grigore , Targoviste-
*
-astro-photo-art Maximilian Teodorescu-
*
Superb transit,
visible among the cloudy intermittences
with the naked eye,
and appearing like a lively black colour
through the telescope...
-Dimitrie Olenici , Suceava-
*
-photo Catalin Timosca , Turda-
*
go,
heart-time,
venus-time,
tear-time,
sun-time,
eye-time...
we just love
from the lower part
to the upper part
like the gods
and die
from the lower part
to the upper part
like the flight...
-Adrian Sima , Bucharest-
*
-photo Eugen Balan , Bucharest-
*
Sessions, exams, coffee, blue nights
But Venus walking indifferently on the Sun.
I contemplating this splendour and...
Let's dream of a trip to the stars!
-Delia Loman , Bucharest-
*
-photo Constantin Opriseanu , Bucharest-
*
nice girl looking through the telescope -
terrestrial Venus
transiting my life
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe , Bucharest-
*
-photo Ruxandra Popa , Bucharest-
*
Venus!
This year
our neighboring planet
was so beautiful,
the brightest "non-starry star"
smiling to me from the heights!
But now,
during its transit across the Sun,
my dream planet
seeming to become
a "black hole"...
-Ion Moraru , Bucharest-
*
-photo Radu Corlan , Bucharest-
*
clouds don't matter:
Venus in transit
piercing shadows
-Tina Visarian , Cluj-Napoca-
*
-image Adrian Bruno Sonka , Bucharest-
*
It's hard to describe
that floating almost unreal
of an immense mass of matter.
Naturalness?...
Peace?...
(Venus in not a simple definition
in a dictionary!)
-Cornel Apetroaiei , Sighet-
*
-photo Dragos Brasov and Urania Astronomical Association , Bucharest-
*
Venus - a majestic title role
on a solar stage
directed by the Creator
-Gabriel Ivanescu , Bucharest-
*
-photo Radu Gherase , Bucharest-
*
You're so dark, Venus,
transiting the Sun!
But you'll be the "morning star" again...
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe , Bucharest-
*
First contact:
timid kiss after 122 years.
Contacts 2 and 3:
embrace for 5 hours and 24 minutes.
Last contact:
kiss of good bye for 8 years.
-astro-photo-art-poem Valentin Grigore , Targoviste-
*
Brilliant Venus
wished to show that
she can spectacularly run...
and passed over the Sun!
-Zigmund Tauberg , Bucharest-
*
A transient and hot beauty spot
with CO2, Sulphur and a light ring
cannot disturb the Sun's face.
But Venus murmurs
through some radio waves:
"Sky lovers, I wish you
some day to see from Mars
the transit of Terra
across the Sun too."
-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe , Bucharest-
*
-Venus transit 2004 at Timisoara Observatory with the Antares Astroclub;
photographic poem Laurentiu Alimpie-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012
-Romanian cosmopoetry-
Eight years later, the first Romanian man who observed the Venus transit 2012 on 6 June
was placed in the southern hemisphere:
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 IN NEW ZEALAND
-astro-photo-poem by Danut Ionescu-
Venus to the Sun:
“I will visit you again
After one hundred years.”
*
Soon after, in Romania,
only the last third of the Venus transit was visible (or not!) among the clouds.
So we begin with those unlucky sky lovers
who transformed their observational suffering into samples of poetic spirituality:
Total disappointment.
Heavy clouds and rain in 6 June 2012.
So I’m going to take my pills of immortality
for the next Venus transit
(in 2017)!
-Neox, Iasi-
During the transit of Venus across the Sun
in 2012
I saw only live transmissions
and the transit of the clouds across the sky.
-Erwin, Timisoara-
The clouds “solved” all during the Venus transit 2012,
so for us it was just an exercise
to assemble and disassemble the astronomical equipment.
-Lucian Curelaru, Brasov-
-photo Valentin Grigore, Targoviste-
*
But fortunately, the Venus transit 2012 was seen in different circumstances
by other sky lovers from more Romanian groups
(Bucharest Astroclub, astronomy.ro, Urania, Borealis, Galati Observatory,
Youth for Future, Science and Technique magazine, SARM etc.):
VENUS-EARTH-MOON CONJUCTION
or
AROUND VENUS TRANSIT 2012
-astro-photo-poem by Adrian Bruno Sonka-
The transit of Venus will be interesting,
but in those moments
I want to be on the Sun.
From there
I would see an approach of
Venus, Sun and Moon.
I know,
it is not too comfortable on the Sun,
but being patient
and using some good binoculars
I would see something spectacular.
When Venus passes over the Sun
(as an image seen from Earth),
this means that these three heavenly bodies
are in the same plane.
It would be a non-sense to go to Venus,
which is placed between the two objectives
(Sun and Earth),
because from Venus I would see
the Earth in opposition to the Sun;
it means that
the Earth rises when the Sun sets,
and the Earth sets when the Sun rises;
I would see a “full” Earth
if the sky would not be covered by clouds.
But from the Sun,
things would be different:
Venus will pass close to Earth and Moon,
and both of them will be
in the constellation Ophiucus,
not too far of the star Antares from Scorpius.
Venus will be brighter than the Earth
and both of them will be “full”
(with their entire disks visible).
I’m so eager!
VENUS TRANSIT 2012
-astro-photo-poem by Alex Conu-
I went after the good weather
to the shore of the Black Sea.
I stopped on the Eforie Sud beach
and, under an unfriendly wind,
I photographed the entire transit of Venus
visible in Romania.
I liked it more than that of 2004
because it’s not every day you can see
the Sun rising from the sea
with Venus over the yellow disk,
deformed by the terrestrial atmosphere.
Actually,
it was something unique for a lifetime.
So
if the Sun, Venus and the Earth were perfectly aligned,
then I had to make my own small effort,
too.
VENUS TRANSIT 2012
-astro-photo-poem by Dan Uza-
Here is a phenomenon so rare and important
for a category of people,
but which remains just
an insignificant piece of news on TV
or a statistical element
for the large majority.
I observed the phenomenon somewhere
on the national road between Cluj and Zalau,
but from tens of cars which passed near me
no driver stopped to see what I did.
Actually,
the transit remains a hidden eclipse.
It reminds of a flower,
or rather of an old celestial clock maker
who arranged times and weather
in a way in which
only those who hear the music of the spheres
can enjoy the message of the heavenly bodies.
VENUS TRANSIT IN TURDA KEYS
-astro-photo-poem by Oana Suciu-
After we installed telescopes and cameras,
we sadly watched the ceiling of ashen clouds.
And just when we lost any hope,
a break in clouds showed the disk of the Sun,
traversed by the silhouette of Venus…
…and we felt extremely lucky!
VENUS TRANSIT AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, BUCHAREST
-astro-photo-poem by Valentin Stoica-
I had a premonition
that it was my first and my last transit seen at sunrise.
I felt like a lucky man.
The star tourism will flourish
till the next Venus transit in 2017
and we will be able to go anywhere
to catch such phenomena:
maybe even the transit of Saturn!
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE BLACK SEA
-astro-photo-poem by Mona Constantinescu-
That little point in the Sun
is Venus.
The fisherman tries
to catch it…
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 IN TARGU JIU
-photo by Marian Lucian Achim-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT GALATI OBSERVATORY
-photographic poem by a team led by Jan Ovidiu Tercu-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT BUCHAREST
-photo by Radu Gherase-
SPECIAL THANKS
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
Thank you, Kepler,
for you predicted the Venus transit for the first time.
Thank you, Horrocks,
for you observed the Venus transit for the first time.
Thank you, Halley, Dixon, Mason, Lomonosov, Lalande…
for your cosmic revolutionary measurements
inspired by the Venus transit.
Thank you, ESO, NASA and other organizations
for making from the Venus transit
a good of humanity.
Thank you, astronomers yet unborn,
who will make the best measurements
for the race of the millennia:
the simultaneous transit of Mercury and Venus
in the year 69163.
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT BUCHAREST
-photo by Andreea Fazacas-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT SULINA
-photos by Florin Teodoru-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT CALAFAT
-photographic poem by Catalin Beldea-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012
-photographic poem by Loredana Jucan-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT CRAIOVA
-photographic poem by Emil Fruntelata-
RE-APPOINTMENT
-by Irina Cristescu-
The twins Venus and Earth,
in a precisely delimited time,
clot their trajectories
on the right line of stopping
the longing for the Sun.
VENUS TRANSIT 2012
-astro-photo-art by “russu”-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE BLACK SEA
-photographic poem by Catalin Paduraru “Sarpe”-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE BLACK SEA
-astro-photo-art by Eliza Teodorescu-
VENUS’ MONOLOGUE
-by Dominic Diamant-
If I transit the immortal Sun
It’s something insignificant for me
As time as I am the finest
Sky being who you can see.
Anybody can say anything
Disproving me with any argument.
I can show at any time I have
A divine place in the firmament.
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT CLUJ
-photos by Ioan Mircea Corpodean-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT BUZAU
-photo by John G-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT CLUJ
-photographic poem by Istvan Matis-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE BLACK SEA
-photo by Eliza Teodorescu-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT TURDA
-photos by Catalin Timosca-
JACOB’S LADDER
-by Boris Marian (Mehr)-
Sometimes Venus is not
the evening star or the morning star,
she appears even on the Sun,
and I carefully collect
petal-hours,
field-days,
year-mountains…
I collect
forgiveness, humility and love
to climb again
Jacob’s Ladder.
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT CLUJ
-photo by “tsa”-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, BUCHAREST
-photos by Daniel Nicolae-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE BLACK SEA
-photos by Zoltan Deak and Mihai Deak-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT CALAFAT
-photographic poem by Catalin Fus-
CENTURIES TALKING
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
Four centuries (17, 18, 19 and 21)
sympathized the 20th century.
“We are sorry,
only you could not see
a pair of Venus transits!”
“This already belongs to the past,”
replied this one,
“at least I was the speed century!
So you may think I am stupid,
but better sympathize the 31st century:
with only one Venus transit in 3089,
he will be invalid!”
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT CLUJ
-photographic poem by “cio”-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE BLACK SEA
-photo by Andrei Nica-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT TARGU JIU
-photographic poem by Emil Pera-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT NATIONAL CHILDREN PALACE, BUCHAREST
-photo by Minodora Carmen Lipcanu-
VENUS TRANSIT
-by Ion(ut) Moraru-
Earth entered the cinema to see a rare film.
Because he delayed,
Kepler told him in 1631 about the action,
so Earth understood the shape of Venus,
lit from behind by the Sun.
Then Lomonosov showed him
Venus’ aura, a splendid atmosphere.
Later
Earth understood why the Maya people
had accepted to be guided by Venus,
and why the antique Greeks
had seen the planet with more faces
as only one,
the goddess of beauty,
as Pythagoras had thought,
in the evening and in the morning,
eclipsing even Apollo
in magical splendour.
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT CLUJ
-photo by “popaduhu”-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT TARGU JIU
-photos by Sabin Fota-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012
-photos by Mircea Radutiu-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT TARGU JIU
-photos by Dan Nicolcioiu-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE NATIONAL CHILDREN PALACE, BUCHAREST
-photographic poem by Dragos Brasov-
PHENOMENON
-by Zigmund Tauberg-
Usually shining in the dark,
Venus doesn’t know any inhibition,
And, transiting even the Sun,
She shows she has… so much ambition!
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT CRAIOVA
-astro-photo-art by Tavi Florian-
GREAT TRANSIT
-by Irina Cristescu-
Venus breathes through dust of stars,
the centenary encounter is announced,
but the Earth is not prepared,
here and there dust of obsolete city
rises, too little scared.
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE BLACK SEA
-astro-photo-art by Mihai Curtasu-
TRAINING
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
In 2012 I wanted to watch
the Venus transit over the solar disk
and two solar eclipses
not just for astral fun.
It was just training
for the year 15232
when Venus will transit…
an eclipse of the Sun!
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, BUCHAREST
-photographic poem by Mihai Dumitrica-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 OVER THE SUN’S DISK
-astro-photo-art-poem by Maximilian Teodorescu-
The chosen place:
Vama Veche, on the shore of the Black Sea.
Firstly, after 3:00 AM,
we arranged the instruments
and made a few “tests”
with the most important “astral” subject
visible in that moment: the Moon.
Then we estimated the place where
the Sun-Venus couple had to rise.
A few “innocent” witnesses
developed some activities specific for
those who have the sea in their blood.
But the group with a well-defined aim
prepared for the sunrise.
The Sun appeared
from behind a stratum of clouds,
placed on the horizon.
Along with him,
a black point which seemed to be
part of the clouds’ peaks…
The Sun rose higher
and that point isolated itself from clouds,
remaining alone on the Sun’s disk.
The Sun continued his natural way in the sky,
and the terrestrial atmosphere brought
more originality to the phenomenon…
At a moment,
a seagull wanted to erase that “fluff” from the Sun,
but he didn’t estimate correctly the distance.
The black spot remained over there
for a while,
and it will come back after 105 years.
The effects of the atmospheric turbulence continued,
with a tentative of “green flash” at the edge of the Sun,
which finally remained only a “limb”…
The Sun entered the second row of clouds,
and the phenomenon seemed to become…
artistic!
The Sun became brighter,
so I put the solar filters.
Among technical operations,
we tried to admire the surrounding scenery.
But Venus quickly moved on the Sun’s disk,
and began to go to the “exit”.
It was the moment to use the Coronado PST…
Then we began to prepare ourselves for the end:
Venus’ way out of stage…
During those moments,
someone photographed me:
a face frowned from so much sunlight.
And the epilogue:
*
Other Romanians watched the Venus transit in other European countries:
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 IN BULGARIA
-photographic poem by “ursa major”-
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 IN ITALY
-photographic poem by Cristian Mihaila-
And since “FINIS CORONAT OPUS”,
the most Western Romanian observer gave another masterpiece:
VENUS TRANSIT 2012 IN IBIZA, SPAIN
-photo by Diana Bodea-
*
Project coordinators: Andrei Dorian Gheorghe and Valentin Grigore
Design: Florin Stancu
English translations from the Romanian: Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
Secretary: Alexandru Sebastian Grigore
© 2012 SARM
(Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy)