NOAA Satellite Observes Venus Transit in front of the Sun

The NOAA Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo., used the NOAA GOES-12 satellite space weather instrumentation to observe the passage of Venus in front of the sun. This transit of Venus is the first in 122 years. The GOES observation, using its Solar X-ray Imager, is unique because it records the sun's 2 million degree, outer atmosphere in X-rays. This observation is possible only from space, since Earth's atmosphere blocks out X-rays. The GOES-12 SXI is the only spacecraft to observe this event from space in X-rays. The animation shows the Venus transit as captured by the NOAA Solar X-ray Imager from 12:54 a.m. to 8:44 a.m. EDT.
In the NOAA images, Venus appears as a dark disk about 1/30th the sun's apparent diameter. Since the sun's 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.
"Historically, transits of Venus were used to determine the absolute scale of the solar system," said Ernest Hildner, director of the NOAA Space Environment Center. "For SXI, the data taken during the transit of Venus will provide benefits to understanding the SXI instrument performance and thus potentially improving space weather forecasts. There may even be a possibility of using the SXI data to study the atmosphere of Venus," he added.
The GOES-12 SXI takes a full-disk image of the sun's atmosphere once every minute. The images are used by NOAA and the U.S. Air Force to monitor and forecast solar flares, coronal mass ejections, coronal holes and active regions. These features are the dominant sources of disturbances in space weather that lead to geomagnetic storms.

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• OAA
• Satellite
• Observes
• Venus
• Transit
• Sun

[xMaizo]

On the quest to find ADABUD659's comment.

[crossfirepunk2010]

@ADABUD659 sounds like someone's a Sun worshipper.... geez. fun never gets old :D

[markmartin6sc]

For people on the Americas able to see the transit, you'll be looking in the evening hours of June 5. Viewers in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia will be watching the morning of June 6. Sky-watchers who want to see the whole transit from start to finish need to be in eastern Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, the Philippines, China, Korea, Japan, the western Pacific islands, Hawaii, Russia, Alaska, and northwest Canada.

When it ends, there won't be another Venus transit until 2117

:(

[OogaMaga]

@ADABUD659 Pffftt... You sound retarded.

[ParaglidingManiac]

@Killerquatch,

This was filmed by NASA. You can use a regular video camera or a photo camera. Just don't forget to use a filter to your telescope!:)

[Killerquatch]

Hello, I have a question for you, is it possible to record this transit with a camera?

If so, what type of camera did u use?? thank u.

[Na8ters]

I happened to see this live when my family went on a trip to italy but t was true luck that we were in the exact spot you needed to be and that our cousin actually knew it was happening

[marco240591]

another nice vide screwed up by religious and atheist, who the fuck cares? keep ityourself, you wont convince anybody if god exists or not... nevertheless on youtube.

[NOMADLEON]

Our god, humans god.

[NOMADLEON]

I 100% AGREE WITH YOU.