Three planets, zodiacal light and Milky Way [1]

Earthsky.org- 10/18/13, Deborah Byrd

Milky Way on left, and faint zodiacal light on right, with planets Venus, Saturn and Mercury in front of the light. Photo taken at Mount Bromo in Indonesia on September 28, 2013 by Justin Ng

At one glance, one may think that this image is photoshopped or it’s a composite because it’s simply impossible to see Milky Way galaxy at dusk. But what you’re really seeing here is a single exposure shot of a rare phenomenon, known as zodiacal light (a.k.a. “false dusk”), that I have captured during my recent trip to Mount Bromo in the Southern Hemisphere. Zodiacal light is best seen during spring and autumn, and I chose to visit Mt Bromo a few days after [the Southern Hemisphere's autumnal equinox] as I hoped to capture the zodiacal light along with the 3 planets, 3 volcanoes and a Milky Way galaxy.

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