WATCH: 'Wow!' Maryland Observes 2012 Venus Transit

This story has been corrected to reflect the viewing event happened in Woodstock at the Howard County Conservancy.

More than 200 people gathered at the Howard County Conservancy in Woodstock with goggles and telescopes to see a shadow that won't be seen from Earth for more than 100 years.

Scientists and casual astronomers gazed at the between 6 and 8 p.m. Tuesday in hopes that the skies would clear in time to catch a glimpse of the planet as it made its way across the face of the sun -- something that won't happen again from our perspective her on Earth until 2117.

"The first time the clouds parted, a lady was over here, and her first words were, 'Wow!'" said Eddie Crawford, a member of the Howard Astronomical League.

Did you watch the 2012 transit of Venus Tuesday? What did you think? Tell us in comments.

The first accounts of a transit by Venus helped early astronomers determine the distance between the sun and the Earth thanks to an idea made popular by Edmond Halley, namesake of Halley's Comet. 

Scientists have been predicting and studying transits of Venus and other planets for 500 years, but Tuesday's celestial outing was more about fun to observers at the Conservancy.

Ryan Lindsey, 6, watched the transit through his father's telescope: "It looked like the sun almost had a hole in the corner."