Venus Hill

Venus Hill, also known as Venus Pillar or Mafolie Observatory, is a historic site on Estate Mafolie in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands.

About Venus Hill

The site marks the spot where a transit of Venus — the rare astronomical event of Venus passing directly between the Earth and the Sun — was observed and recorded on 9 August 1882. In recognition of its scientific and historic significance, the monument was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

History

The 1882 transit of Venus was part of a series of internationally coordinated observations used at the time to help refine measurements of the solar system's scale, making Venus Hill's role in that effort part of a broader chapter in 19th-century astronomy.

Location & getting there

The site sits on Estate Mafolie above Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, with elevated views typical of the island's hillside neighbourhoods.

Visiting Venus Hill

As a historic monument rather than an active research facility, Venus Hill can typically be visited as a point of interest in Charlotte Amalie; check current local access information before planning a stop.

See your named star from here

A site once used to track a planet crossing the Sun is a fitting place to think about the night sky in a different way — including the exact coordinates of a star named in someone's honour. Name a star or browse the catalogue to find one.