STUNNING PHOTOS: Venus Makes Rare Trek Across Sun

The transit was a very rare astronomical event that would not be seen again for another 105 years.

Observers in north and central America, and the northern-most parts of South America saw the event start just before local sunset.

The far northwest of America, the Arctic, the western Pacific, and east Asia witnessed the entire passage.

While the UK and the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and eastern Africa waited for local sunrise to try to see the closing stages of the transit.

Venus appeared as a small black dot moving slowly but surely across the solar disc. The traverse lasted more than six and a half hours.

Venus is seen passing in front of the rising Sun, in this image taken through a telescope, from Losevo village, north of St. Petersburg, Russia, June 6, 2012.

The sun rises behind clouds over the Baltic Sea as Venus, top right, passes in front of the sun in Kolobrzeg, Poland, June 6, 2012.

Venus crosses the sun, as seen from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, June 6, 2012.

A Saudi man uses a special telescope to observe the transit of Venus in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 6, 2012.

School children watch Venus cross the sun at the Sydney Observatory in Sydney, Australia, June 6, 2012.

A bird comes in to land atop one of the domes of the landmark Taj Mahal as Venus, top left, begins to pass in front of the sun, as visible from Agra, India, June 6, 2012.

A bird flies past, at left, as Venus crosses the Sun over Raisina Hills, in New Delhi, India, June 6, 2012.

Venus moves across the sun during the transit, as seen from Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan province,

Birds fly past as Venus, seen as a black dot on the left side of the sun, is seen in Katmandu, Nepal, June 6, 2012.

BBC News
Photos by AP