Visions Of Venus

  • Released Thursday, June 7, 2012
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On June 5-6, 2012, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured beautiful, high-definition images of an astronomical event that occurs only twice every hundred years or so: the transit of Venus, when the planet passes directly between the sun and Earth. Such images could not have been envisioned when a ground telescope was first used to see the transit in 1639. Indeed, the imagery even improves on that captured during the last transit in 2004, before SDO was in orbit. During the event, scientists used the precise details about the position of Venus and the sharpness of its edges to help calibrate space telescopes, ensuring even better observations in the future. In the videos below, watch Venus dance across the face of the sun, as viewed by SDO in multiple wavelengths, and see the planet's approach leading up to the transit.

Now for the good stuff! See unprecedented views of Venus crossing the sun.

Now for the good stuff! See unprecedented views of Venus crossing the sun.

Venus appears as a perfect black dot in this collection of SDO images captured at multiple wavelengths.

The NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory tracked Venus from May 31 to June 4 as the planet approached the sun.

Venus crossed the left limb of the sun, seen here at 304 angstroms, between 6 and 7 p.m. EDT on June 5.

Venus crossed the left limb of the sun, seen here at 304 angstroms, between 6 and 7 p.m. EDT on June 5.

Venus prepares to exit over the right side of the sun, shown here at 171 angstroms, following a transit of six and a half hours.

Venus prepares to exit over the right side of the sun, shown here at 171 angstroms, following a transit of six and a half hours.

Backlit by the sun, seen here at 193 angstroms, Venus completes its last transit until 2117.

Backlit by the sun, seen here at 193 angstroms, Venus completes its last transit until 2117.

For More Information

See NASA.gov

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory footage courtesy of NASA/ESA

This page was originally published on Thursday, June 7, 2012.
This page was last updated on Monday, January 6, 2025 at 1:22 AM EST.