In 1769 astronomers across the globe trained their telescopes on the Sun to measure the time and path the planet Venus took to cross its fiery surface. The most famous of these was Captain James Cook, who after he was done opened his secret orders explaining he was to sail into the Southern Seas and find the Great Southern Continent.This is the story of how and why Cook arrived in Botany Bay - along with the disastrous consequences for all those scientists who looked upon Venus that day! NOTE: The photo is my own image of the 2012 Transit of Venus...and true to form, this photo destroyed my $500 camera!