Get ready for the transit of Venus!

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01 June 2012

Scientists and amateur astronomers around the world are getting ready to see Venus crossing the face of the Sun on the night of 5 June, an event that will not be seen again for over a hundred years.

ESA’s science team will be reporting live from the Arctic island of Spitsbergen (Norway). As the Sun does not set at Spitsbergen in June (it shines all day and all night!), it will provide the team with a unique opportunity to observe the entire transit. Transit will start at 00:04 CEST 6 June and finish at 06:52 CEST.

A transit of Venus occurs only when Venus passes directly between the Sun and the Earth.

Venus transits occur very rarely. The next one will not be seen until 2117!

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Astronomers have learned a lot from Venus transits. For example, they gave astronomers a way to measure the size of the Solar System. Transits of the 18th century also enabled astronomers to calculate the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

During the transit of 1761, astronomers noticed a halo of light around the planet's dark edge. This is how we discovered that Venus has an atmosphere. Thanks to spacecraft that have since visited Venus, we now know that its atmosphere is dense with carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and with clouds of sulphuric acid… making it inhospitable!

To celebrate this rare event, ESA will provide background information about the Venus transit on a dedicated blog. Live updates will be posted there, so stay tuned!