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Published on Thursday, 07 June 2012 08:28

Written by Super Utilisateur

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On Tuesday June 5th, 2012, a possibility to observe the transit of Planet Venus in the sky of French Polynesia will occur. This exceptional phenomenon was last observed in 1769 in Tahiti and Moorea by Captain James Cook during his first circumnavigation trip through the South Pacific Ocean. The transit of Venus was then observed elsewhere in 1874, 1882 and 2004. In June 2012, it will be the last chance in the century to observe the Venus transit ! The next one is announced for 2117 !

Captain James Cook was a famous navigator and explorer. He circumnavigated the globe three times. The Polynesians are also famous navigators. On their double-hulled canoes, they traveled their territory called the Polynesian triangle whose three summits are the Hawaiian Islands, Easter Island and New Zealand, at a time when the Europeans were still doing only coastal traffic along the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The Polynesians are still excellent sea-farers. Periodically, re-enactments of their long voyages are accomplished. Their last one, in December 2010, was a trip from Tahiti to China, where the Polynesians are presumed to come from.

All the projects concerning the celebration of the transit of Venus in Tahiti will be published on this website as soon as they become realities. A steering committee set in Tahiti is already at work to organize and supervise the whole event. We want to highlight this once-in-a-lifetime astro-scientific occurrence, by giving it a historical, multicultural and pedagogical dimension. This event is a unique opportunity offered to our modern-era community of scientists from all over the world to meet one another in the wake of James Cook while discovering the dream island of Tahiti and the Polynesian people. For more information, contact  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.