Transit of Venus 2012 in Pictures (Gallery)

NASA's SDO Satellite Captures Venus Transit Approach -- Bigger, Better!

NASA/SDO, AIA

On June 5-6 2012, SDO is collecting images of one of the rarest predictable solar events: tthe 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 on June 5, 2012.

SDO Up-Close Look

NASA / SDO

The Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image shortly before ingress.

NASA's SDO Satellite Captures Venus Transit Approach

NASA/SDO/AIA

On June 5-6 2012, SDO is collecting images of one of the rarest predictable solar events: tthe 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 on June 5, 2012.

Venus Transit 2012 Begins: Slooh Space Camera

Slooh Space Camera

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

Venus Transit by SDO

NASA/SDO/GSFC

The planet Venus (upper left) approaches the sun for a rare solar transit on June 5, 2012. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Venus Crossing the Sun

NASA

This still from a NASA video shows the positions of Venus on the face of the sun at various stages during the transit of Venus on June 5, 2012.

Crowd Gathers to Watch Venus Transit Webcast

Denise Chow/SPACE.com

A large crowd turned out to view the transit of Venus at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, where astronomer Steve Beyer explained what the crowd was going to see.

Olive Transit of Pizza

Camilla SDO (via Twitter @ Camilla_SDO)

Camilla SDO, mascot of the SDO mission, appears astonished by this very visual — and tasty — depiction of a Venus transit. Note the hot pepper at lower right: Is that a prominence?

Venus Transit 2012 Time Tags

NASA

This still from a NASA video shows the position of Venus on the sun's disk in Pacific Daylight Time on June 5, 2012 during the last transit of Venus for 105 years.

Your Guide to Venus Transit 2012 (Infographic)

Karl Tate, SPACE.com Contributor

Make sure to see the June 5 passage of the planet Venus across the face of the sun: a similar event won't happen again until the year 2117.

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