6 Jun 2012

Only some get rare glimpse of Transit of Venus

9:35 pm on 6 June 2012

New Zealanders got a chance to see the planet Venus make its way across the face of the sun in a rare astronomical event on Wednesday.

The Transit of Venus, occurs when the planet passes between the earth and the sun and won't be seen for another 105 years. The second planet in our solar system appeared as a small dot and took about seven hours to make its journey on Wednesday.

Around the world, many people keen to get a view attended events at universities and observatories where equipment for safe viewing had been set up. For others, internet streams provided an easy way to follow its trek.

Venus begins its journey across the sun (far right) in this image captured via a telescope at the Auckland Stardome Observatory.

Venus begins its journey across the sun (far right) in this image captured via a telescope at the Auckland Stardome Observatory. Photo: RNZ

In New Zealand, the transit began after 10am on Wednesday but was only visible in some parts of the county including Auckland, the East Coast, Hawke's Bay and the West Coast.

Elsewhere, many skygazers missed out due to cloud.

In Auckland, astronomy enthusiasts and school groups were among the hundreds of people at the Stardome Observatory to see the spectacle.

Many wore special safety glasses for a better view, while others chose to look through a telescope.

About 1000 people gathered at Tologa Bay on the East Coast to watch the event, including astronomers and other delegates who are attending a Transit of Venus scientific forum being held in Gisborne.

Meanwhile, New Zealander Nigel Rankin was in Tahiti in the exact spot where adventurer Captain James Cook stood to observe the transit in 1769 and said hundreds of people turned out.