Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars
Credit &
Copyright:
Mike Salway
When the Moon rose in predawn skies on February 23rd,
it sported a sunlit crescent.
It also offered
early morning
risers a tantalizing view
of earthshine, the dark portion of the
lunar disk illuminated by
sunlight reflected from the Earth.
Of course, on that morning a remarkable
conjunction with three
wandering planets added an impressive touch to the
celestial scene.
Recorded just before sunrise,
this
serene skyview looks east toward
a glowing horizon across Tuggerah Lake on the Central Coast of New South
Wales, Australia.
Along with the waning
crescent Moon,
the picture captures (top to bottom) bright
Mercury,
Jupiter, and
Mars.