A transit of Venus across the Sun took place today 6/6/2012 when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and Earth, becoming visible against the solar disk. During a transit, Venus was seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun. began at 22:09 UTC on 5 June 2012, and will finish at 04:49 UTC on 6 June.
The transit is similar to a solar eclipse by the Moon. While the diameter of Venus is more than 3 times that of the Moon, Venus appears smaller, and travels more slowly across the face of the Sun, because it is much farther away from Earth.
