The planet Venus (upper right) transits across sun as viewed from Munster, Ind., Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The next transit of Venus will not occur until December 2117. 800mm (400mm + 2X) ISO 50 @ 1/5000th @ f45.

East Chicago, Indiana-based lighting designer, filmmaker, and photographer Guy Rhodes shot the transit of Venus across the sun.

I had a sinking, sobering moment when I re-read the above photo caption earlier after I wrote it, namely, the last sentence. “The next transit of Venus won’t occur until December 2117.” That’s right, the next time Venus flirts her way past our main-squeeze of a star, I’ll have my own headstone somewhere. Every stress or worry I have now will be inconsequential. Sheesh! I’ll spare you and myself any further depressing discourse, though I will say that there was something quite therapeutic about photographing something this evening that my eyes will never see again.

Actually capturing the images, however, proved to be slightly less therapeutic and more necessitating of therapy. Choosing my shooting location was the easy part. I wanted to be somewhere high up, without obstructions, that would allow me to photograph the sun until the very last moment when it dipped below the horizon. I chose a giant mountain of garbage, Munster, Indiana’s Centennial Park (built on a former landfill), as my perch above the suburban sprawl.

Continue reading and see more photos on Guy’s blog.

Munster, Indiana’s Centennial Park (build atop a towering, former landfill) provided a perfect perch above the suburban sprawl to capture the transit. Pictured here are two pieces of Lee 210 gel taped over the front of my lens to control the exposure of the bright sun.

A 737 aircraft (left) and the planet Venus (upper right) transit across sun as it begins to set behind a water tower in Munster, Ind., Tuesday, June 5, 2012. 560mm (400mm + 1.4X) ISO 50 @ 1/2000th @ f18.