Images: The Transit of Venus

  Observed through the view finder of a telescope, the planet Venus crossing the face of the sun Tuesday evening. The planet appears as a small black dot at upper left in relation to the sun.

Venus begins to pass in front of the sun, as visible from Hong Kong, Wednesday, June 6, 2012.

In this photo made using a red filter, Venus begins to pass in front of the sun, as visible from from Overland Park, Kan.on Tuesday, June 5, 2012.

Venus begins to pass in front of the sun, as visible from New York, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. From the U.S. to South Korea, people around the world turned their attention to the daytime sky on Tuesday and early Wednesday in Asia to make sure they caught the once-in-a-lifetime sight of the transit of Venus, which won't be seen for another 150 years.

Indian Pramod Kumar Pandey, Director of Jawahar Planetarium checks a telescope as he makes preparations for people to watch the transit of Venus in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. Stargazers around the world are setting up special telescopes and passing out cardboard eclipse glasses to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial cameo of Venus passing in front of the sun. Venus is Earth's second-closest neighboring planet.

Indian children use cardboard eclipse glasses as they prepare to watch the transit of Venus in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. Stargazers around the world are setting up special telescopes and passing out cardboard eclipse glasses to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial cameo of Venus passing in front of the sun. Venus is Earth's second-closest neighboring planet.

  Louis Bowers of Mount Prospect takes a look through the main telescope in the Wheaton College Astronomical Observatory, which opened Tuesday evening for free viewings of the Transit of Venus. Hundreds of people lined up for the event.

  Sam Gibbons, 8, of Lombard, takes a look through a smaller telescope on the roof of the Wheaton College Astronomical Observatory, which opened Tuesday evening for free viewings of the Transit of Venus. On the right is Sam's sister Gracie, 10 and on the left is student Daniel Flavin, helping out with the event. Hundreds of people lined up to look through several different telescopes.

  Alta Johnson of Wheaton takes a look through the main telescope with her son Ethan, 4, at the Wheaton College Astronomical Observatory, which opened Tuesday evening for free viewings of the Transit of Venus.

  Andris Slokenbergs of Geneva and his son Emils, 3, take a look through the main telescope in the Wheaton College Astronomical Observatory, which opened Tuesday evening for free viewings of the Transit of Venus.

  Alexandria Kapko, 12, of Palatine observes Venus crossing the face of the sun Tuesday evening. Palatine attorney James Wotal was there to help people lined up at the telescope find the planet during viewing of the event at Harper College.

  Using a filtered telescope, observers view the planet Venus crossing the face of the sun at Harper College in Palatine Tuesday evening.

Hong Kong stargazers use telescopes to observe the transit of Venus along the Victoria Habour in Hong Kong Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Stargazers around the world are setting up special telescopes and passing out cardboard eclipse glasses to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial cameo of Venus passing in front of the sun.

A woman holds a pair of solar viewing glasses to her mobile phone to photograph Venus passing the sun at the Sydney Observatory in Sydney, Australia, Wednesday, June 6, 2012.

A Hong Kong stargazer uses a special sunglasses to observe the transit of Venus along the Victoria Habour in Hong Kong Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Stargazers around the world are setting up special telescopes and passing out cardboard eclipse glasses to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial cameo of Venus passing in front of the sun.

A visitor photographs a live image of Venus moving past the sun showing through a coelostat at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The next transit of Venus won't be for another 105 years.

Erin Kozakiewicz, center, and Steve Whelchel, right, use glasses while viewing the transit of Venus in front of the sun with the Oklahoma Astronomy Club's viewing at the Science Museum of Oklahoma on Tuesday, June, 5, 2012.

The planet Venus crosses the upper right portion of the sun as seen from Edgewater Park in Cleveland on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The next transit of Venus won't be for another 105 years.

Spectators at Edgewater Park in Cleveland watch the sun set as the planet Venus crosses the upper right portion of the star, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The next transit of Venus won't be for another 105 years.

Hundreds of people gather wearing special viewing glasses gather to watch the transit of Venus at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The rare event occurs when the planet Venus moves in front of the sun. The next time this will occur is in 105 years in 2117.

Matt Scott, still wearing protective glasses, tries to take a photo of a projected image of the sun as hundreds of people gather to watch the transit of Venus at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The rare event occurs when the planet Venus moves in front of the sun. The next time this will occur is in 105 years in 2117.

Brian Cunningham, of Evansville, Ind., second from left, holds his son, Teddy, age 7, so he can look through the telescope to see the transit of Venus on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. Cunningham had done the same for his two other sons Zach, 11 and Ben, 9, as they were part of a crowd that gathered along the Ohio River behind the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science in Evansville, Ind. to watch Venus as the planet moves in front of the Sun. Members of the Evansville Astronomical Society set up telescopes so people could look at the event.

Hong Kong stargazers use telescopes and special sunglasses to observe the transit of Venus along the Victoria Habour in Hong Kong Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Stargazers around the world are setting up special telescopes and passing out cardboard eclipse glasses to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial cameo of Venus passing in front of the sun.

The photo provided by Ole Miss Communications shows astronomy enthusiasts gather to view the transit of Venus in front of the sun at the Kennon Observatory at The University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Tuesday, June 5, 2012.

The photo provided by Ole Miss Communications shows astronomy enthusiasts gather to view the transit of Venus in front of the sun at the Kennon Observatory at The University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Tuesday, June 5, 2012.

Joseph R. Caruso, of Newburgh, Ind. uses a viewing device made to safely look at solar eclipses as he tries to see the transit of Venus on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. Caruso was one of the people who set up their telescopes along the Ohio River behind the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science in Evansville, Ind. to watch as the planet moves in front of the sun. Although some people said they could see the small dot of Venus using this viewer, Caruso was not having any luck.

Venus moves past the top of the sun as seen from SUNY Orange in Middletown, N.Y., where a small group of astronomy enthusiasts gathered to watch the transit of Venus Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The next transit wont be until 2117.

Hundreds of people gather wearing special viewing glasses at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario to watch the transit of Venus on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The rare event occurs when the planet Venus moves in front of the sun. The next time this will occur is in 105 years in 2117.

Hong Kong stargazer use special filers on telescope to observe the transit of Venus along the Victoria Habour in Hong Kong Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Stargazers around the world are setting up special telescopes and passing out cardboard eclipse glasses to view the once-in-a-lifetime celestial cameo of Venus passing in front of the sun.