Transit of Venus June 2012: Sky gazers were in for a rare celestial event Wednesday with Venus - the second planet from the Sun and the Earth's neighbour - crossing the Sun's face in what will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Venus will take about six hours to complete its transit, appearing as a small black dot on the sun's surface, in an event that will not happen again until 2117.

"This celestial phenomenon known as the 'Transit of Venus' is one of the most eagerly-awaited events in sky watching. In a transit, Venus passes between Earth and the Sun, appearing through the telescope as a tiny black spot," an official of the ministry of earth sciences was quoted saying to a news agency.

For astronomers, the transit wasn't just a rare planetary spectacle. It was also one of those events they hoped would spark curiosity about the universe and our place in it.

Scientists and amateur astronomers alike celebrated the arrival of the Transit of Venus, peering up to the skies to watch a dark black spot slide over the surface of the Sun. The awesome spectacle was visible all over the country, including the national capital. However, a cloudy sky restricted its visibility from Delhi and some other parts of northern India.