Spotting Venus

A fisherman goes about his morning routine on the Flagler Beach Pier while Venus creeps slowly across the rising sun June 8, 2004.

Germany

A man watches the Venus transit through binoculars covered with a special protective foil in Munich June 8, 2004. The previous visible transit of planet Venus occurred on Dec. 6, 1882. The next one will be in 2012.

Philippines

A tiny dot of the planet Venus is seen on the northwest side of the sun's disc as viewed in Manila, Philippines, on a rare astronomical occasion June 8, 2004. The transit of Venus occurs when the planet passes between Earth and the sun. The most recent transit occurred 122 years ago and the next one will be in 2012.

Kenya

A Kenyan holds special dark glass to observe the transit of Venus across the sun in Nairobi, Kenya, June 8, 2004. All over the world, scientists and enthusiasts were monitoring the event which last occurred in 1882.

Massachusetts

A spot on the sun is seen through telescope with special solar filter, which is set up on the roof of Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., Tuesday, June 8, 2004.

Egypt

Egyptians and tourists hold special dark glasses observe the transit of Venus across the sun, at the historical site of Giza Pyramids, Egypt, June 8, 2004. All over the world, scientists and enthusiasts were monitoring the event which last occurred in 1882.

Singapore

The planet Venus, dark spot visible at left, crossing the sun is pictured June 8, 2004 in Singapore. The rarely seen spectacle is happening for the first time since 1882, and astronomers around the world, amateur and professional, have their faces turned skyward to observe.

Hong Kong

Using eye-protective filters, a group of people look at a small dark disc creeping across the face of the sun in one of the rarest of celestial spectacles, a transit of Venus, at Hong Kong's Space Museum June 8, 2004.

England

An observer witnesses the transit of Venus through a telescope in the grounds of Carr House in Much Hoole near Preston, northern England, June 8, 2004, where astronomer Jeremiah Horrox first witnessed the spectacle in the year 1639.

India

Young Indian girls watch the transit of Venus across the sun through solar sunglasses in Ahmadabad, India, June 8, 2004.

Malaysia

The transit of Venus making its way crossing the sun's surface is photographed by an assistant science officer at the Malaysia National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, June 8, 2004.

Japan

Wearing eye-protective filters, a group of Japanese citizens look at a small dark disc creeping across the face of the sun in one of the rarest of celestial spectacles, a transit of Venus, at Yokohama Science Center in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, June 8, 2004.

Australia

The transit of Venus makes its way across the sun as photographed by the Sydney Observatory June 8, 2004.

Germany

Scientist Knud Jahnke, left, points to planet Venus, seen as a small dark dot on the projection by the solar telescope at the Einstein Tower at the Astrophysical Institute of Potsdam, eastern Germany, while explaining the planet's transit to visitors on Tuesday, June 8, 2004.

Indiana

Grace Darnell, 6, of Granger, Indiana takes a peek at the Transit of Venus Tuesday June 8, 2004, through one of several telescopes in the parking lot of the Penn High School sports complex in Mishawaka, Ind.

South Africa

A shaman watches the sun through protective shades in Pretoria, South Africa, during a gathering held Tuesday June 8, 2004, as Venus' silhouette slid across the face of the sun, a celestial spectacle last witnessed in 1882.

Alabama

William T. House, of Huntsville, uses binoculars and special filtered sunglasses to look at the image of Venus passing in front of the rising Sun in front of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., Tuesday, June 8, 2004.

From Space

An image released by NOAA Tuesday, June 8, 2004, taken by its GOES-12 SXI satellite shows Venus appearing as a dark disk about 1/30th the suns apparent diameter. Since the suns atmosphere or corona extends well above the disk seen in visible light, Venus was visible in silhouette for approximately nine hours, versus the six hours seen from Earth. The path across the disk is from the southeast to the southwest.

Pakistan

Pakistani stargazers look at transit of Venus through custom made filter, as one of the most rarest of celestial spectacles is observed in Karachi, Pakistan on Tuesday, June 8, 2004.

Japan

A bird flies during a transit of Venus, lower left, observed in Wakkanai, a town at the northernmost tip of Japan on Tuesday, June 8, 2004. A transit takes place when Venus passes between the Earth and the Sun.