A transit occurs when one smaller object directly passes in front of a star, as seen from the vantage point of the observer. As the object moves across the disk, a small amount of starlight is blocked. The periodically occurring brightness reduction of the host star is observable which allows for exoplanets --planets orbiting stars other than the Sun-- being discovered. Since the invention of the telescope, Venus has been observed to transit the Sun seven times, in 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874, 1882, 2004 and 2012.
The next times will only be in 2117 and 2125.
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