A perfect companion for planet chasers who watched Venus cross the face of the sun on June 8th, 2004 and are anxious for the next transit in 2012 (there won't be another until 2117). In addition to their "compleat" guide to viewing this century's transits, the authors provide historical accounts of previous transits and the pains astronomers of the past went through to see them (Captain James Cook sailed halfway around the world to see the transit of 1769). Sheehan is the author of co-author of several books on astronomy, including Mars: The Lure of the Red Planet ; Westfall is professor of geography at San Francisco State University. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)