<p>Nowadays, atmospheres of transiting exoplanets are being characterized. We can measure the absorption of the star's light through the exosphere of exoplanets. </p>

<p>The same can be done closer to Earth, with the inner planets. In fact, this was done <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/scientists-study-venus-atmosphere-through-transit" rel="nofollow noreferrer">during the 2012 Venus transit</a>. </p>

<p>When is the first time that a transit was used to study the atmosphere of Venus ?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-22T03:43:54.327Z
slightly related atmospheric observation, Venus in front of a spacecraft: [When did planetary scientists realize Venus' surface pressure was almost 100x that on Earth? How did they find out?](https://space.stackexchange.com/q/30346/12102) It is possible that references there might also cite something.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-22T07:18:58.397Z
@uhoh Those answers focus on measurements that were done in the 60's, and in particular with the Mariner probes. But that doesn't mean there weren't measurements done before then from the ground. That post gives some very interesting reading though ! :)
usernumber
<history><venus><planetary-transits>
When was the atmosphere of Venus first observed?
usernumber
# When was the atmosphere of Venus first observed?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-05-21)

Nowadays, atmospheres of transiting exoplanets are being characterized. We can measure the absorption of the star's light through the exosphere of exoplanets.

The same can be done closer to Earth, with the inner planets. In fact, this was done [during the 2012 Venus transit](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/scientists-study-venus-atmosphere-through-transit).

When is the first time that a transit was used to study the atmosphere of Venus ?

**Tags:** history, venus, planetary-transits

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: slightly related atmospheric observation, Venus in front of a spacecraft: [When did planetary scientists realize Venus' surface pressure was almost 100x that on Earth? How did they find out?](https://space.stackexchange.com/q/30346/12102) It is possible that references there might also cite something.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Those answers focus on measurements that were done in the 60's, and in particular with the Mariner probes. But that doesn't mean there weren't measurements done before then from the ground. That post gives some very interesting reading though ! :)  

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