Transit of Venus 2012 in Pictures (Gallery)

Venus Transit 2012: A Fiery Crossing

NASA/SDO

On June 5-6 2012, SDO collected images of the rarest predictable solar event--the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. This event happens in pairs eight years apart which are separated from each other by 105 or 121 years. The last transit was in 2004 and the next will not happen until 2117.

Venus Transit 2012 from Space Station

NASA

This image is from NASA Astronaut Don Petttit shot from onboard the International Space Station on June 5, 2012.

Venus Transit 2012: SDO Closeup

NASA/SDO

On June 5-6 2012, SDO collected images of the rarest predictable solar event--the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. This event happens in pairs eight years apart which are separated from each other by 105 or 121 years. The last transit was in 2004 and the next will not happen until 2117.

SDO's Ultra-high Definition View of 2012 Venus Transit - 193 Angstrom

NASA/SDO, AIA

On June 5-6 2012, SDO is collecting images of one of the rarest predictable solar events: the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. This event happens in pairs eight years apart that are separated from each other by 105 or 121 years. The last transit was in 2004 and the next will not happen until 2117. This image was captured June 5, 2012.

Venus Transit 2012 from Space: SDO

NASA/SDO, HMI

On June 5-6 2012, SDO is collecting images of one of the rarest predictable solar events: the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. This event happens in pairs eight years apart that are separated from each other by 105 or 121 years. The last transit was in 2004 and the next will not happen until 2117.

Venus Transit 2012 from Space: SDO

NASA/SDO/HMI

On June 5-6 2012, SDO is collecting images of one of the rarest predictable solar events: the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. This event happens in pairs eight years apart that are separated from each other by 105 or 121 years. The last transit was in 2004 and the next will not happen until 2117.

SDO of Transit

NASA

Image of the Venus transit across the sun's disk snapped by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on June 5, 2012, and shown in a NASA webcast.

Watching the Venus Transit at NASA Ames

Mike Wall/SPACE.com

Hundreds of people came out to NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., to watch the Venus transit on June 5, 2012.

Spanish Venus-Transit Watchers in California

Mike Wall/SPACE.com

Oscar Martin Mesonero (right) and Pablo Gonzalez Pena, of Salamanca, Spain, watched the June 5 Venus transit from NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

Venus Crossing the Sun

NASA

This view shows the start of the 2012 transit of Venus across the sun (upper left) as it begins to cross the solar disk on June 5, 2012.

First Contact

NASA / SDO

The Solar Dynamics Observatory caught Venus at first contact with the Sun during the start of its transit.

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