October 26, 2024
M & M
Originally published May 31, 2014
image by Dani Caxete, Embalse Torre de Abraham-Toledo-Spain
The Moon and the Milky Way only seem likely to be in the same image if the Moon is a crescent; the Moon has to be enough days old not to be too near the Sun which would make the sky too bright to image the MW. And the Moon can't be too full or it would brighten the sky too much for the MW to be seen. In Dani's beautiful image, the Moon, whatever its phase, is near the horizon and diffused by low clouds, one of which arcs over like a thin Milky Way. Another condition required for this image is a dark and transparent sky so that the MW is recordable. At my location on Main Street in a small town, the limiting magnitude is about 3 due to sky brightness; the MW and most of the universe are not available from my back deck. That is why, one reason at least, I study the easily found Moon and the brighter planets. But the Moon is in the image and so this qualifies to be an LPOD, thankfully, for it is too gorgeous to forego.
Chuck Wood
(Note: I'm waiting for the Moon to test some new eyepieces I just bought. They are cheap but have good reviews; I'll see in the next few days, clouds permitting.)
Technical Details
Panorama of 7 photos. 30 sec. f/2.8, 3200 ISO
Related Links
Dani's space photos
Yesterday's LPOD: Constant Companion
Tomorrow's LPOD: The Western Chain
COMMENTS?
Register, Log in, and join in the comments.