The transit of Venus a dazzling sight (pictures)
At the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, hundreds gather to watch Venus pass between the Earth and the sun, which won't happen again until 2117.
Transit of Venus
This afternoon, Venus began its "transit" across the face of the sun as the planet passed directly between the Sun and Earth, a rare and spectacular sight for skywatchers. The next transit will take place in 2117.
While in Los Angeles for the Electronics Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, we paid a visit to the Griffith Observatory, where hundreds gathered to gaze through homemade telescopes and the observatory's own powerful eyes.
While in Los Angeles for the Electronics Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, we paid a visit to the Griffith Observatory, where hundreds gathered to gaze through homemade telescopes and the observatory's own powerful eyes.
Griffith Observatory
The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, where hundreds of people gathered Tuesday on the lawn to see Venus as it passes between the Earth and the sun.
Venus approaches the Sun
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite captures Venus transit approach.
No. 14 welder's glass filter
Hobbyist astronomers brought dozens of telescopes to the lawn in front of the Griffith Observatory. Here, CNET's Daniel Terdiman hold a filter of No. 14 welder's glass, which provided a perfect viewing filter.
No. 14 welder's glass filter
This cropped RAW photo was taken with a Canon 5DMKII and a 200mm lens at 3:36 p.m. PT through the No. 14 welder's glass filter at the Griffith Observatory.
Griffith Observatory's Coelostat
Griffith Observatory's Coelostat telescopes projects an image of the sun directly into the west rotunda of the Ahmanson Hall of the Sky.
Coelostat throught the iPad
CNET's Daniel Terdiman take a photo of the Griffith Observatory's Coelostat projection with an iPad. Venus is visible in the lower right corner of the inverted telescope image.
Spectrohelioscope
The Spectrohelioscope is a telescope with a hydrogen-alpha filter. Sunlight is projected from the roof, through the filter, and can observe any wavelength of sunlight.
The Spectrohelioscope
Looking into the spectrohelioscope projection, you see red light from hydrogen atoms. The black dot is Venus seen against the red colored Sun.
Transit of Venus
Ultra-high definition view of 2012 Venus Transit in the 304 Angstrom filter by the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
LA from above
Downtown Los Angeles is seen from the Griffith Observatory in the hills.
Venus Transit
NASA's Solar Dynamics observatory satellite captures the 2012 Venus transit on June 5, 2012.
Griffith Observatory lawn
The Hollywood sign visible in the background, the lawn at Los Angeles' Griffith Observatory was filled with hundreds of of people and telescopes there to observe the transit of Venus across the sun.
The Sun through a No. 14 welder's glass filter
This cropped RAW photo was taken with a Canon 5DMKII and a 200mm lens at 4:14 p.m. PT through a No. 14 welder's glass filter at the Griffith Observatory.
No. 14 welder's glass filter
This cropped RAW photo was taken with a Canon 5DMKII and a 200mm lens at 4:15 p.m. PT through a No. 14 welder's glass filter at the Griffith Observatory.
Griffith Observatory in the Los Angeles hills
The Griffith Observatory perched in the Los Angeles hills hosted hundreds of people to watch the transit of Venus Tuesday.
Deck at Griffith Observatory
Dozens of telescopes were brought out and people lined up to watch the transit of Venus from the Griffith Observatory Tuesday.
Projected image
A telescope projects an image of Venus passing between the Earth and the sun on Tuesday on the deck at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
Looking skyward
People lined up to see the transit through telescopes on the deck at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles onTuesday.
Starring at the Sun
Many spent the afternoon laying on the lawn at Griffith Observatory looking at the sun through filtered glasses.
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