# Venus Transit

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venus-transit/249486>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 9, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venus-transit/249486 "2004-06-09T17:22:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![robz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@robz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robz)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venus-transit/249486/1 "2004-06-09T17:22:39Z")

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Not having much in the way of a scientific mind. Why is a transit of Venus so rare? Since Venus orbits inside Earths orbit, and on the same plane(?) then wouldn’t tranists be yearly.

Please be kind.

Standard, this is not home work disclaimer.

Thanks

BZ

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venus-transit/249486/2 "2004-06-09T18:18:38Z")

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If Venus were stationary.

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venus-transit/249486/3 "2004-06-09T18:22:53Z")

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Well it would be a regular event, more than once a year provided Venus and Earth orbits were in precisely the same plane. If Venus is just above or below the sun from our POV there is no transit.

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venus-transit/249486/4 "2004-06-09T18:27:46Z")

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> [@robz](#):
>
> Not having much in the way of a scientific mind. Why is a transit of Venus so rare? Since Venus orbits inside Earths orbit, and on the same plane(?) then wouldn’t tranists be yearly.

You’re error is in your statement that they are on the same plane. They’re not.

Please see the [Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus) for a nice graphical explaination.

Zev Steinhardt

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venus-transit/249486/5 "2004-06-09T18:28:10Z")

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That’s the whole point. They are not on the same plane. Venus’s orbit is tilted by about [3.39 degrees](http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/venus/transit.shtml) with respect to the Earth’s orbital plane (the ecliptic).

So most times Venus is between us and the sun, it is either above or below the sun from our viewpoint.

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venus-transit/249486/6 "2004-06-09T18:28:40Z")

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Different planes:

[http://www.dsellers.demon.co.uk/venus/ven\_ch3.htm](http://www.dsellers.demon.co.uk/venus/ven_ch3.htm)

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**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/venus-transit/249486/7 "2004-06-09T18:32:41Z")

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> [@zev\_steinhardt](#):
>
> You’re error is

And my error is in using “You’re” instead of “Your.” :smack:

My apologies. Carry on.

Zev Steinhardt