Enjoy this, because we'll possibly never see it again. The Hinode Solar Optical Telescope has taken a spectacular 'once in a lifetime' picture of Venus passing in between the Earth and the Sun. Venus' transit across the surface of the Sun is -- in human expressions at least extremely rare, taking place every 115 years. Luckily the Hinode Earth-orbiting satellite was able to capture the complete event by means of its Solar Optical Telescope. Researchers led by Fabio Reale of the University of Palermo then inspected the pictures, noticing the ways in which the Sun's light interacts with Venus' atmosphere. The team examined the variances in size of Venus through some wavelengths, by detecting the changes they should be able to produce a more accurate picture of the elements found on the planet's surface.
Pesnell said “The planet appeared very round in all wavelengths. If the transition from day to night were different from the transition from night to day, you would expect a bulge in the atmosphere on one side of the planet.”
