James Cook - Part 1 - Early years, war and surveyor
The Explorers Podcast
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The Transinov Venus: A Golden Opportunity for Science
The Transinov Venus takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and the Earth. By recording the start and end of the event from locations around the world, you can use trigonometry to calculate the distance between Venus and the Sun. The Royal Society actually wanted to make observations from three locations, Hudson's Bay, Norway, and the Pacific. James Cook was selected by the Admiralty as the man who would lead the expedition in 1768.
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