The day the world looked up
In 2012 an extremely rare astronomical event occurred, when it was possible to see the planet Venus fly across the face of the Sun.
In June 2012 one of the solar system’s rarest of astronomical events took place, when it was possible to see the planet Venus fly past the face of the Sun. It appears when the orbits of Earth and Venus momentarily line up, but that happens only four times every 243 years. Astronomers in Australia, London and Hawaii tell Nick Holland what it was like watching the sight, one they will never get to see again because they won’t be alive when it next reappears in the year 2117.
(Image: SDO satellite captures an ultra-high definition image of the transit of Venus. Credit Nasa/Getty Images)
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Wed 2 Feb 2022 08:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
- Wed 2 Feb 2022 12:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
- Wed 2 Feb 2022 18:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Wed 2 Feb 2022 23:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Thu 3 Feb 2022 03:50GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
Podcast
-
Witness History
History as told by the people who were there