Yesterday saw witness to one of the rarest predictable astronomical events: The Transit of Venus. Like a miniature eclipse, Venus passed between Earth and the Sun, treating viewers to sight that (thanks to an orbital quirk) happens only twice in a lifetime. While no one on Earth will see this again until 2117, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory space telescope definitely had the best view in the house.
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No. 1 | Composite Transit
The path of Venus across the sun. From NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory
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No. 2 | Transit of Venus
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No. 3 | Transit of Venus
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No. 4 | Transit of Venus
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No. 5 | Transit of Venus
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No. 6 | Transit Time Lapse
See the seven-hour event in just 39 seconds.
(via NASA)