Transits of Venus, where Venus passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, are rare events that occur in pairs about 8 years apart, separated by over a century. This is because Venus' orbit is inclined relative to Earth's, so transits can only occur when the two planets are aligned at specific points in their orbits called nodes. Additionally, Venus orbits the Sun faster than Earth, completing 13 orbits in the time it takes Earth to complete 8, so the alignment shifts with each cycle. As a result, transits are separated by over 100 years, with the next set occurring in 2117 and 2125.