Lomonosov observes the 1761 transit and discovers the atmosphere of Venus
- When
- 6 June 1761
- Where
- Small observatory near Lomonosov's house, St Petersburg
- Part of
- Transit of Venus of 1761
Observing the 1761 transit of Venus from St Petersburg, Lomonosov saw an arc of light around the planet and correctly attributed it to sunlight refracting in Venus's atmosphere.
On 6 June 1761 (26 May O.S.), during the transit of Venus, Mikhail Lomonosov observed the planet crossing the solar disk from a small observatory near his house in St Petersburg. He inferred the atmosphere of Venus from an arc around the planet at its ingress and egress, correctly attributing it to refraction of sunlight in Venus's atmosphere. The effect became known in the literature as "Lomonosov's arc" and has since been observed by many astronomers watching the Venus transits of the 18th, 19th, and 21st centuries.
Sources
- Mikhail Lomonosov Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-18
- Transit of Venus Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-11
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