BBC/OU Open2.net - Transit of Venus

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Venus starts its journey across the sun. Image ctsy. NASA

The next Transit of Venus visible in its entirety from the UK won't be until 2247 - so this June event was your only chance to observe the planet make its way in front of the Sun from this country. Discover the significance of the event in all kinds of astronomical calculations, and join in with using the transit to calculate the Astronomical Unit - the distance between Earth and the Sun.

Following the transits

What was it about the Transit of Venus that inspired astronomers to travel to the ends of the Earth. Find out in the history of the Transit of Venus.

Astronomy timeline

Discover how the Transit of Venus fits into the wider story of the history of astronomy in our Astronomy Timeline.

Relive, remeasure

Measure the AU - get the lowdown on the principles behind measuring the AU and contribute your personal observations with our Flash interactive.

Visit the Astronomy Forum

Join in on the Astronomy forum - and share your transit experiences. After you've come up with your own measure of the AU, why not log on and compare it with the national results?

Gallery

See the Transit of Venus for yourself in our gallery of star images - and enjoy Stardate's coverage of third contact again.

Free magazine

Fit all of Venus on your wall - order your great free poster & magazine.

Taking it further

Has the Transit of Venus left you wanting to know more? We've got books, CD-Roms and websites to help you take your interest further.