Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Zodiacal Light and Milky Way

NASA ^ | October 20, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Ghostly apparitions of two fundamental planes in planet Earth's sky span this October all-sky view. The scene was captured from a lakeside campsite under dark skies in northern Maine, USA. In it, the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy arcs above faint airglow along the horizon. Zodiacal light, a band of dust scattering sunlight along the solar system's ecliptic plane, stretches almost horizontally across the wide field and intersects the Milky way near a point marked by bright planet Jupiter. Right of Jupiter, past the Pleiades star cluster, is the brightening of the Zodiacal band known as the Gegenschein, also visible to the eye on that dark night. Begirt with many a blazing star and rising above the distant mountains, Orion the hunter is reflected in the lake's calm waters.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Babak Tafreshi (TWAN)]

[SunkenCiv]

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[onyx]

Wonderful photo!

Thanks very much, Sunken Civ!

[BubbaBasher]

I remember the first time I went sky watching at a truly dark place and saw the Milky Way. It was amazing. There were so many stars it was difficult to find the constellations.

[TheOldLady]

Nice one, Mr. Civilizations! Thank you for all the pings.

[left that other site]

EXCELLENT!!!!!

[SunkenCiv]

I wonder how the Zodiac looks from Kodiak?

[TheOldLady]

I’ve never been to Alaska and have no idea. I don’t know if I could bear the polar view.

[hattend]

Beautiful!

[hattend]

I live just north of Kodiak Island and we have had some absolutely gorgeous ultra clear nights the last week. Since I live in a very small town, it is dark dark.

I love Alaska...now if we could just do something about the winter cold. Paging Owl Bore!