Transit of Venus in Front of the Sun, June 2012

The planet Venus (black dot) passes in front of the sun, as seen from earth

When the planet Venus was scheduled to pass in front of the sun in early June 2012 I wanted to capture the event, but I didn't want to simply record a dark spot in front of a bright one. So I decided to place earth-bound objects in front of the sun to capture the Sun, Earth and Venus in the same shot. And why not... the next opportunity to capture a Venus transit across the face of the sun wouldn't come for another 105 years!

There will a a transit of Mercury across the sun on May 9, 2016.  This article on timeanddate.com can tell you when the mercury transit may be available from your location.  It also provides links to information on proper eye protection!

"After centuries of trying, only photographic technology could measure the ‘Transit of Venus’ and tell us our position in the solar system." - +Royal Observatory Greenwich

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