Amazing Video: Venus Traverses The Sun

In case you were stranded in the backcountry, enrolled in a wilderness survival course, bike touring in Amish country or otherwise out of reach of the internet last week, we thought we'd show you some out-of-this-world footage of Venus' transit across the Sun.

What's that, you ask? Well, it was only the second passing of Venus directly between Earth and the Sun in our lifetime, and you missed it. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, however, made sure to capture the transit of Venus—the last one for another 105 years—at a resolution eight times better than High-Definition TV.

The almost-once-in-a-lifetime spotting of Venus across the solar landscape yielded NASA scientists data—alongside 20 or so videos for the rest of us—to help them measure the position of the solar North. The images captured last week were constructed using several wavelengths of ultraviolet light and some of the visible spectrum, according to the SDO's website. As for common skywatchers and those who missed the transit, they will have another opportunity to stare at the Venus-spotted Sun in 2117. We sure hope clouds don't get in the way.

NASA, on a less scientific note, also suggested for observers to make "solar cookies" as part of their viewing party festivities. We suggest baking some before clicking on the below video.

Via NASA.gov.