Original artworks from NASA

The rare science opportunity of planetary transits has long inspired bold voyages to exotic vantage points - journeys such as James Cook's trek to the South Pacific to watch Venus and Mercury cross the face of the Sun in 1769. Spacecraft now allow us the luxury to study these cosmic crossings at times of our choosing from unique locales across our solar system.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an autonomous organization of the United States Federal Government liable for the regular citizen space program and aeronautics and space research. NASA was set up in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Since its foundation, most US space investigation endeavors have been driven by NASA, including the Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the Space Shuttle.