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Subscribe to RSSThree-minute video shows the transit of Venus, as seen in multiple wavelengths on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Red, golden and magenta views are in ultraviolet wavelengths (304, 171 and 1700 angstrom, respectively), while the orange sun is filtered visible light.
The transit of Venus may be finished until 2117, but videos and pictures of the phenomenon are continuing to gush all over the Internet. If you missed Tuesday's nearly seven-hour astronomical spectacle, you can get up to speed with a 39-second video from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. If you've got a little more time, sit back and watch the three-minute version with a soaring soundtrack.
Another time-lapse video from the SDO team lasts just 12 seconds — but it shows one of the most scientifically significant phenomena surrounding the transit: the "Arc of Venus," an interval during which sunlight is refracted around Venus' disk, creating a "ring of fire." Close analysis of the refracted light can provide insights into the dynamics of Venus' mysterious atmosphere.
The video also gives you a taste of the optical "black drop effect" that occurs when Venus crosses the edge of the sun's disk:
Close-up of the Venus transit ingress as seen by the Solar Dynamic Observatory's HMI instrument. Credit: NASA / SDO / HMI / Stanford University / Jesper Schou
Here's a jaw-dropping view of Venus crossing the edge of the sun's disk from Japan's Hinode sun-watching satellite. You can make out the thin arc of sunlight refracted by the planet's atmosphere:
JASA / NASA / Lockheed Martin
The Hinode sun-observing satellite captured this stunning view of the planet Venus crossing the edge of the sun's disk.
Over the past couple of days, we've run lots of pictures of Venus crossing over the sun's disk, but I can't pass up the opportunity to share some of the transit pictures that were shared by Cosmic Log correspondents. Here's a selection:
Jerry Horn
Photographer Jerry Horn took this picture of his son pointing to Venus crossing the face of the sun at sunset, west of Tucson, Ariz. Technical details: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon EF f/4 300mm IS with a 1.4x Extender and B+W 1000x neutral density filter.
Submitted by Vik Sridharan / UGC
A pelican and a planet cross the sun in a picture taken by Vik Sridharan in Redondo Beach, Calif. Here are the technical specs: Canon 50D + 70-200 F4L + 1.4TC; UV, Polarizer, and ND400 filters.
Submitted by David Fuller / UGC
David Fuller says this is his "sun-kissed photo of Venus on the limb of the sun, with sunspots visible in the image." The picture was taken from the Chicago area at 5:22 p.m. CT through a six-inch, f/5 reflector with a white-light solar filter and a smartphone camera, using afocal photography.
David A. Harvey
David A. Harvey made careful plans for this picture of the transit. "I was able to compute the place where the sun would set behind the McMath Solar Telescope atop Kitt Peak National Observatory while Venus was still in transit," he writes. Check out Harvey's website for more of his work.
Submitted by John Bonnell / UGC
Geese fly in a line over the sun, seemingly dodging the round dot of Venus' disk, in this picture from John Bonnell.
Submitted by Harish Khandrika / UGC
Harish Khandrika captured the Venus transit at sunset with a helicopter flying across the sun's disk, at the Torrey Pines Glider Port in La Jolla, Calif.
Submitted by Elizabeth Ahlborn / UGC
The amazing thing about this photo is that Elizabeth Ahlborn of Fond du Lac, Wis., used a pair of binoculars to project an image of the sun onto a white piece of paper. Then she took a photograph of the projection, which shows the black dot of Venus toward the bottom of the sun's disk, as well as sunspots.
Thanks to everyone who submitted pictures, including Brian Helm, Adam Rybczynski, Jim Belfiore, Jacqueline Croasdale, Tommy Fortunato, Gary Brandon, Robert Schmidt, Steve Siedentop, Justin Van Hassel, Amy LeBaron, Xihui Zhang, Christopher Klug, David Hall, Jim Walsh, Bruce Korsmeyer (from Venus, Texas!), Steve Moulding, Kevin Palmer, Don Heaton, Brian Sinofsky, Tom Rejzek, Dave Holbrook, Sean Kinslow, Ameer Hassoun, John Melson, Veronica Hernandez, Jarra McGrath, Jason Heinitz, Howard Chan, Sam Stouffer, Eric Steele, Tim Baker, Dinar Dalvi, James Owen and Andrew Lee.
We won't have to wait until 2117 for the next astronomical photo op: Keep an eye out for coming attractions, highlighted by the Delta Aquarid and Perseid meteor showers of late July and mid-August.
More views of the Venus transit:
- Catch amazing views of Venus
- PhotoBlog: More photos of the Venus transit
- NASA's Venus Transit Observing Challenge on Flickr
- SpaceWeather.com's real-time image gallery
- Space.com: Transit of Venus gallery
Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
Leave a Comment:
Alan, Why do some of the wavelengths seem to show Venus as translucent: You appear to be able to see details of the Sun that are behind the planet as though you were seeing through it? Also, why do some wavelengths show Venus' disc very clearly before it crosses the limb of the Sun while others do not until it actually is in front of the Sun?
I love the scene where you are seeing refraction around the atmosphere of the planet (NASA SDO)
That's it Alan , it's a type of ghosting ....
Lens size to item being viewed to focus ....
You can look at some words or something about 12 feet from you and hold a toothpick an inch or 2 from your eyes and try to block out the words ....
If you focus on the words you can still see them as if you can see through the toothpick ....
If you focus on the toothpick , there's no way you can read the words ....
Interesting observation lngsd ....
More great videos Alan ....
You always come through for us ....
Thanks ....
The second question I know the answer to: Some wavelength filters are better than others at showing the chromosphere, the layer of the sun's atmosphere that sits just above the photosphere (which essentially defines the arcing limb of the sun). In those wavelengths (H-alpha is the best-known), there's a perceptible glow you see above the sun's limb, which allows you to see dark Venus silhouetted against it.
The apparent translucence is something I can't explain without checking with someone who actually knows what he or she is talking about. Maybe another commenter can point us in the right direction. My guess would be that it has something to do with the detector on the sun-observing satellite. Maybe there's sort of a burn-in effect, or maybe the way that sequential images are processed leads to a bit of "ghosting." But these are just guesses.
Hey ....
I meant to post here ....
Whooooops ....
Oh well ....
Thanks again Alan ....
this was an awesome once in a lifetime event for me. (being the first I've ever seen, and the last since the next won't happen for over 100 years.) I was able to capture a photo of it using my camera with a shade 14 welder's glass as a filter. it was amazing
Cool ....
Good job ....
I've seen many interesting views as photographed from Earth. Here's one from NASA:
I only see a guy sitting in a room with a green shirt and suspenders .... ??
Is that it Richard Hohimer .... ??
Here's time lapse video from NASA released via Yahoo! news:
It's translucent because it's doctored. A 3rd grader could have done a better job. Look at it closely. Just another lie to the public. Why don't they just leave a live feed on that HD camera? We might see something......HMM
By the way, Venus is not perfectly round. Check for yourself.
I saw all these on reddit over 24 hours ago... old news here.
I keep on Venus orbits the sun This is a natural phenomenon that is rare. But unfortunately at that time. I live in the sky covered with clouds. I can not take students out of the observation.So I get the video to use as learning material for students of astronomy, grade 2, thank you.
an experts teacher from Fang District, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Missed this one. We had cloud cover. Can't wait to show these videos and pictures to my kids though.