 A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and a superior planet , becoming visible against ( and hence obscuring a small portion of ) the solar disk . During a transit , Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun . The duration of such transits is usually measured in hours ( the transit of 2012 lasted 6 hours and 40 minutes ) . A transit is similar to a solar eclipse by the Moon . While the diameter of Venus is more than 3 times that of the Moon , Venus appears smaller , and travels more slowly across the face of the Sun , because it is much farther away from Earth . 
 A transit of Venus across the Sun <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>takes</mark></a> place when the planet Venus <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>passes</mark></a> directly between the Sun and a superior planet , becoming visible against ( and hence obscuring a small portion of ) the solar disk . During a transit , Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun . The duration of such transits is usually measured in hours ( the transit of 2012<a href='been_done' title='3'><mark></mark></a> lasted 6 hours and 40 minutes ) . A transit <a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>is</mark></a>similar to a solar eclipse by the Moon . While the diameter of Venus <a href='drop_aux' title='5'><mark>is</mark></a>more than 3 times that of the Moon , Venus <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>appears</mark></a> smaller , and <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>travels</mark></a> more slowly across the face of the Sun , because it <a href='drop_aux' title='8'><mark>is</mark></a>much farther away from Earth . 
A transit of Venus across da Sun take place when the planet Venus pass directly between tdaSun and a superior planet , becoming visible against ( and hence obscuring a small portion of ) the solar disk . durin a transit , Venus can b seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of the Sun . The duration of such transits is usually measured in hours ( the transit of 2012 been lasted 6 hrs and 40 mins ) . A transit similar to a solar eclipse by the Moon . While thdaiameter of Venus more than 3 times that of thedaon , Venus appear smaller , and travel more slowly across the face of the Sun , because it much farther away from Earth .