Contributing

When did Venus last transit the Sun?

When did Venus last transit the Sun?

6 June 2012
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.

Can Venus cause an eclipse on Earth?

Venus. Like Mercury, Venus periodically transits the face of the sun to create a tiny eclipse on Earth. These transits occur much less frequently than on Mercury, only twice every century.

How many Earth days equal a Venus day?

243 Earth days
Venus rotates much more slowly than Earth does, so a day on Venus is much longer than a day on Earth. A day on Venus lasts for 243 Earth days or 5,832 hours! A day on Earth is 23.943 hours. Venus also rotates backwards compared to the Earth and most of the other planets.

Why was there a transit of Venus in 2012?

Unlike the 2004 Venus transit, the 2012 transit occurred during an active phase of the 11-year activity cycle of the Sun, and would have provided practice in detecting a planet’s signal around a “spotty” variable star. Measurement of the apparent diameter of Venus during the transit, and comparison with its known diameter.

When does Venus transit across the disk of the Sun?

Transits of Venus across the disk of the Sun are among the rarest of planetary alignments. Indeed, only six such events have occurred since the invention of the telescope (1631, 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874 and 1882). The next two transits of Venus will occur on 2004 June 08 and 2012 June 06.

When was the last time Venus crossed the Sun?

The transit of Venus across the sun is one of the rarest celestial sights visible from Earth, one that wowed scientists and amateur observers around the world Tuesday (June 5). The event, arguably the most anticipated skywatching display of the year, marked the last time Venus will cross the sun (as seen from Earth) for 105 years.

Are there any transits of Venus in pairs?

Transits of Venus are among the rarest of predictable celestial phenomena and occur in pairs.