June 7, 2012 — Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Actually, yes, it is a plane.

During the historic Venus transit on Tuesday, one photographer viewing the celestial spectacle at Lowell Observatory snapped a very terrestrial object crossing the sun's disk when the transit was in full-flow. A passenger jet flew overhead right as Len Bright took his shot. Yes, the aircraft had photobombed the transit.

WIDE ANGLE: Venus Transit 2012

Lowell Observatory is located near Flagstaff, Arizona, and the world famous facility — founded by Percival Lowell in 1894 — hosted a major Venus transit event that attracted hundreds of astronomers and public to enjoy the spectacle. Lowell is also the site of the recently completed Discovery Channel Telescope that is expected to begin a full science program later this year.

For more about the Discovery Channel Telescope, browse our behind-the-scenes look at the telescope's commissioning.

-- by Ian O'Neill