Transit of Venus Expedition

The Transit of Venus Expedition was a historic scientific journey in the late 18th century aimed at measuring the precise distance between Earth and the Sun. During a transit, Venus passes directly between Earth and the Sun, appearing as a small dot moving across the Sun’s face. By carefully timing this event from different locations worldwide, astronomers applied principles of geometry to calculate the Sun’s distance more accurately. These expeditions, notably those in 1761 and 1769, significantly advanced our understanding of the solar system and demonstrated the importance of international collaboration in science.