Venus: Once-in-a-lifetime solar voyage (VIDEO)

The transit of Venus across the Sun has enthralled astronomers and amateur stargazers alike. They gathered across the world to view the rare phenomenon. The planet appeared as a small black pinhole moving slowly across the face of our Sun.

People turned their gaze to the small silhouette of Venus in a spectacle that will not be seen again until 2117.Venus’ wander across the Sun lasted approximately six hours and forty minutes and was visible from all seven continents.Most areas of North and Central America caught a glimpse of Venus before the sunset, while Hawaii, Alaska, eastern Australia and eastern Asia where treated to a full display as the transit occurred during daylight hours.Online streams of Venus’ movements bagged massive viewing figures, NASA’s website drawing two million visitors in total and 90,000 at any given time.The transit of Venus occurs in pairs eight years apart, but there is more than a century gap separating cycles.NASA scientists collected information on Venus’ atmosphere during the transit that may shed light on how to identify other planets that could support life.