Venus Passed Right Between Sun and Earth [Video]

When the dates showed on June 5, 2012, Venus had a kind of small solar eclipse passing between our star Sun and the Earth we are on. However, this mini-eclipse did not cause a darkening of the sky as it did when the Moon came between the Sun and Earth, because Venus only occluded 3 percent of the Sun due to its distance from Earth.

While we ordinary people didn’t even realize such a natural event was taking place, scientists were trying to collect as many images and data as possible because there was exactly 105 years before Venus’ next ‘solar eclipse’. So probably none of the scientists observing the 2012 eclipse will see the next Venus-induced mini-eclipse.

Venus passes between the Sun and Earth twice in 8 years, but 95 years to the next expanse. OK, how?

The black dot in the photo you see above is the silhouette of Venus passing in front of the Sun. When you see how small Venus is next to the Sun, you can better understand why we didn’t notice this mini solar eclipse when it happened. Venus is too far and small to cast a shadow from Earth as it passes in front of the Sun.

Venus will not pass between the Sun and Earth until 2117

The planets oscillate up and down while orbiting the Sun in a circular orbit. Therefore, although Venus will continue to pass between the Sun and Earth as it continues to rotate in its circular orbit, it is extremely rare for its shadow to fall completely on Earth.

As we mentioned above, Venus last passed between the Sun and Earth on June 5, 2012. The date shared by scientists for the next crossing is December 10-11, 2117. The estimated date for the next intersection is December 8, 2125. Wait a minute; Why is there only 8 years between the next intersection and the next intersection?

Between two transits, there are 8 and then 105 years

As we mentioned above, the planets perform their circular motions in an oscillating manner. Interestingly, the mini solar eclipse of Venus occurs twice in 8 years as a result of this oscillating movement, but the third eclipse takes place 105 years later. After this 105-year hiatus, another intersection takes place 8 years later and another 105 does not occur. Scientists can predict exactly when the intersections will occur years in advance by transferring Venus’ movements around the Sun to computer simulations.

We have to wait 95 years for new images to be taken. Who knows, maybe when that date comes, we will have a spacecraft both on the face of Venus and next to the Sun, and it can offer us much more unique images.

The video below, dated June 6, 2012, contains a compilation of images taken exactly 10 years ago as Venus passed in front of the Sun. Let us state that the reason why the Sun is in different colors in different images is that scientists have recorded the event in different types of light for various researches.

Video of Venus passing between the Sun and Earth