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Credit & Copyright: Nuno Serrжo
Explanation:
It is not every day that such an interesting cloud
photobombs
your image.
The original plan was to photograph a rare angular
conjunction
of
Mars and Venus that occurred a week and a half ago,
with the added bonus of a crescent Moon and the
International Space Station (ISS) both
passing nearby.
Unfortunately, on
Madeira Island,
Portugal,
this event was clouded out.
During the next day, however, a spectacular
lenticular cloud appeared before sunset, so the
industrious astrophotographer
quickly formulated a new plan.
A close look at the
resulting image reveals the Moon visible toward the left of the frame, while
underneath, near the bottom, are the famous planets with Venus being the brighter.
It was the unexpected
lenticular cloud, though, perhaps looking like some sort of futuristic
spaceship, that stole the show.
The setting Sun illuminated the stationary cloud (and everything else) from the bottom,
setting up an intricate pattern of shadows, layers, and brightly illuminated regions,
all seen evolving in a
corresponding video.
Mars and Venus will
next appear this close on the sky in late August,
but whether any place on Earth will catch them behind such a photogenic cloud is
unknown.
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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: clouds - Moon - Mars - Venus
Publications with words: clouds - Moon - Mars - Venus
See also: