2 Once-In-A-Lifetime Events in 1 Day

On June 5, 2012 I had the pleasure of witnessing two once-in-a-lifetime events: the graduation of my children from 5th grade and the transit of Venus across the sun. Each event, in its own right, would have made for a memorable day. Having a "conjunction" of these two events made them both all the more special. My children were magnificent that afternoon, sharing music, art, and samples of their writing as they made their way through this rite of passage.

The much anticipated transit looked like it was going to be a complete bust as overcast skies persisted throughout the day. While the cloudy skies and cooler temperatures made it more pleasant for all assembled for the graduation, it also meant little if any chance remained to observe the transit. Throughout the afternoon I checked the sky. I nearly gave up all hope of a firsthand observation and had resigned myself to watching webcasts of the event. Finally around 7 pm EDT, there were some breaks in the clouds. I raced back to school and was eagerly greeted by half-dozen fellow parents. We carried the equipment to the roof of the Middle School and set up as quickly as possible. We were rewarded with a few moments of a perfectly clear view of the sun wth Venus and numerous sunspots in stark contrast to the body of the sun. After everyone got a look through the eyepiece, I converted to the camera mount and managed to capture a few exposures as the clouds started to roll in and obscure the view. The sun popped out a couple more times before setting but our view was always partially obscured by trees.

This one image is my reward for patience and timing. One that I won't have another opportunity to replicate in my life. The transit made for a perfect exclamation point on an already emotional day proudly watching my three children make the transition from life as a child-student to that of an adolescent-student.