In pictures: Venus in transit

The planet appeared as a small black dot on the massive surface of the sun as it passed directly between the Earth and the centre of the solar system.

In Chennai, India, people wore solar goggles to catch a glimpse of the transit of Venus. It(***)s a rare occurrence: a pair of such events happens every 105.5 or 121.5 years.

At the Nehru Planetarium in Bangalore, India, astronomy enthusiasts watched the transit of Venus through a protective filter to protect their eyes.

Others used welding masks to protect their eyes, such as this student in Manila(***)s Luneta Park, Philippines.

Antony Cernuto came out to windswept Point Dume Beach in Malibu, California, to play guitar on this rare occasion, which will only happen again in 2117.

Planet Venus, pictured as a black dot (a

The last such transit occurred in June 2004.

People watch the planet Venus transiting across the sun, at sunrise in Amman

Across the Middle East, sky-gazers awoke early to watch the transit at sunrise.

The Martyrs'' Statue is pictured as the planet Venus makes its transit across the Sun as seen from Beirut

Above, Venus(***) transit is viewed from the Martyrs(***) Statue in Beirut, Lebanon.