 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 Earthshine and Stary Sky

   December 13, 2021

    Earthshine Moon Venus And Antares Above Palazzolo Acreide - Unesco
   Site LD

   Photographer:  Dario Giannobile

   Summary Author:  Dario Giannobile

   This image shows a spectacular alignment of stars and the moon above
   the city of  Palazzolo Acreide, Italy. The area is an  UNESCO
   World Heritage Site known for its beautiful  Sicilian Baroque
   churches of  San Sebastiano and  St. Paul. Almost all of Sicily
   was shrouded in clouds except for a small portion above Palazzolo
   Acreide. This was the perfect opportunity to photograph the
    crescent Moon, sometimes also called the sickle Moon, in alignment
   with  Venus (on the lower left with respect to the Moon) and the
   star  Dschubba of the  Scorpius constellation (just above Venus).
   The photo also features the star  Antares that appears in the upper
   left corner.

   Adding to the alignment of the stars, the peculiarity of the image lies
   in the splendor of the Moon. It appears to be illuminated by two
   distinct lights: one strong and bright and the other gentle and
   discreet. The first light - the one that illuminates the growing
   portion of the Moon - comes directly from the  Sun and therefore is
   very intense to the point of dazzling its surface. The remaining part
   of the surface is illuminated in a blue-gray light by a phenomenon
   called  Earthshine, which is light that reflects off the Earth
   toward the moon and is reflected back to us on Earth. Leonardo Da Vinci
   was the first person to recognize this phenomenon in the 1500’s. His
   understanding was that the Moon did not shine with its own light, but
   instead as a result of light from the Sun and to a lesser extent the
   Earth. Since then, this glow has also been called the  Da Vinci
   glow. Photo taken October 9, 2021.
     * Palazzolo Acreide, Sicily, Italy Coordinates: 37.062, 14.904

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Night Sky Links

     *  Space Weather Live
     *  Space Weather Live Forum
     *  About the Moon
     *  American Meteor Society
     *  Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
     *  Global City Lights
     *  Heavens Above Home Page
     *  The International Meteor Organization
     *  Lunar and Planetary Institute
     *  MoonConnection
     *  NASA Eclipse Web Page
     *  Understanding The Moon Phases

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   Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the  Universities
   Space Research Association.

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