Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus has never looked more gorgeous! Prolific and accomplished astrophotographer John Chumack captured this shot of a crescent Venus on May 14, 2012 as it moves in for a transit of the Sun. Just 14% of Venus’ face was illuminated, 22 Days before the June 5th Transit of Venus across the Sun. John used a DMK 21AF04 fire-wire Camera, 2x Barlow, & 10″ SCT telescope, and used 950 frames stacked to create this image. Thanks to John for sharing his image; see more of his work at his website, Galactic Images.
“The Place Where Ideas Collide” concept drawing, 2012
A still more glorious dawn awaits us, not of sunrise, but a galaxy-rise. A morning filled with 400 billion suns and the rising of the Milky Way.
Carl Sagan
(Source: sincerelymoose)
Seiko
Moon & Pleiades
A conjunction of the crescent Moon and Pleiades or the seven sisters star cluster in early morning sky.
[A fascinating time-lapse AVI video of the same scene is available here.]
That’s so clean