To coincide with the Transit of Venus, the rarest of astronomical phenomena, planetariums from around the world are hosting a dramatic and immersive film work by Australian artist Lynette Wallworth. 

Coral: Rekindling Venus, surveys an oceanic constellation of sea life – anemones, jelly fish, red sea dragons, fluorescent corals, brain corals and whale sharks – with a haunting soundscape featuring musicians including Antony and the Johnsons and Max Richter.

Filmed by underwater cinematographer David Hannan, who filmed the oceans and seas around Papua New Guinea and the Great Barrier Reef, the work is over five years in the making. It was inspired by the 1761 and 1769 Transits of Venus, an event which sees Venus passing over the surface of the sun.

The phenomena was only first observed in 1639, but by 1789 it had been realised that by measuring the transit’s length from separate vantage points on earth, the earth’s distance from the sun and its position relative to other planets could be calculated. It was the first time that man could accurately measure the vastness of the solar system. The phenomena will not occur again for another 105 years, in the year 2117.

Coral: Rekindling Venus is part of a Transit of Venus programme at the Royal Observatory Greenwich and is showing in its Peter Harrison Planetarium until 6 July.