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Credit: Barney Magrath
Explanation:
Aloha
and welcome to a breath-taking skyscape.
In this celestial scene,
a four day old Moon illuminates a dreamlike foreground while
bright planet Mars
(above center) rules and
the
Milky Way's cosmic clouds of stars and dust seem to stretch
from horizon to horizon.
The picture was taken on May 27th from what may be the best
amateur astronomy observing site
on planet Earth, near the
Mauna Kea, Hawai'i
Visitor Center, 9,600 feet above sea level.
Remarkable in the volcanic foreground are moonlit clouds and
an "ahu hoku" - a star marker or star altar - built up of rocks
topped with a white piece of coral gently glowing in the moonlight.
Now near its closest approach in 13 years,
Mars still lingers between the
Milky Way constellations of
Sagittarius and Scorpius.
High above the horizon by midnight,
the Red Planet
is
exceptionally well placed for
earthdwellers to admire it.
Astrophotographer
Barney Magrath
comments that this splendid sky view
represents one of the joys of
photography itself.
When making the time exposure he did not realize that the
ahu hoku would become such a beautiful element in his celestial
composition.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mars - Milky Way
Publications with words: Mars - Milky Way
See also: