Table of Contents
When did Venus pass between the Earth and sun?
The last transit of Venus was on 5 and 6 June 2012, and was the last Venus transit of the 21st century; the prior transit took place on 8 June 2004. The previous pair of transits were in December 1874 and December 1882. The next transits of Venus will take place on 10–11 December 2117 and 8 December 2125.
How often does Venus see the Sun?
Since the day and year lengths are similar, one day on Venus is not like a day on Earth. Here, the Sun rises and sets once each day. But on Venus, the Sun rises every 117 Earth days. That means the Sun rises two times during each year on Venus, even though it is still the same day on Venus!
How long does it take to get to the Sun from Venus?
At its farthest, Venus lies 162 million miles (261 million kilometers) away, according to NASA. Venus takes 224.7 Earth days to travel around the sun.
How often does Earth transit the Sun?
During a transit, Earth would be visible from Mars as a small black disc moving across the face of the Sun. They occur every 26, 79 and 100 years, and every 1,000 years or so there is an extra 53rd-year transit.
Is the planet Venus going to pass between the Sun and Earth?
The planet Venus will pass in between the Sun and the Earth during a cosmic event known as the inferior conjunction. According to astronomers, the shape of Venus is expected to change in the days leading up to the event.
When does the transit of Venus take place?
Because of the International Date Line, some parts of the world saw the transit on June 6. Venus transits occur when Venus reaches a point in its orbit that brings the planet directly between the Earth and the sun.
When was the last time Venus crossed the Sun?
Since the June 5 transit followed a previous Venus sun crossing in 2004, this is the last one of the current cycle. Venus and Mercury are the only planets that can be seen crossing the sun from Earth since their orbits are between our planet and the sun.
How is Venus supposed to appear in front of the Sun?
However, Venus also needs to line up vertically so that it appears somewhere in front of the face of the sun from our vantage point. Because Venus and the earth don’t orbit the sun on the exact same plane—Venus’ orbit is tipped 3.4 degrees relative to ours—most of the time it’s too high or too low, as shown in the top part of the diagram.