A rare astronomical event in which the planet Venus passes directly between the Earth and the sun, appearing as a small, slowly moving black disk crossing the sun's face over several hours. Transits of Venus occur in pairs eight years apart, separated by gaps of over a century, and historically served as a crucial tool for astronomers to calculate the astronomical unit by timing the transit from widely separated locations on Earth.
Facts
PeriodicityPairs eight years apart separated by gaps of 121.5 and 105.5 years; the sequence repeats about every 243 years 1 First DescribedFirst recorded observation by Jeremiah Horrocks, 4 December 1639 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceA small black circle moving across the face of the Sun 1 Sources
1. Transit of Venus, Wikipedia
Conjunctions section
A pair of transits takes place eight years apart in December, followed by a gap of 121.5 years, before another pair occurs eight years apart in June, followed by another gap, of 105.5 years.
1631 and 1639 transits
The first recorded observation of a transit of Venus was made by the English astronomer Jeremiah Horrocks from his home at Carr House in Much Hoole, near Preston, on 4 December 1639 (24 November O.S.).
Opening paragraph
During a transit, Venus is visible as a small black circle moving across the face of the Sun.
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