The waxing crescent Moon below Venus on July 14, 2018, as they set in the evening twilight over a ripening canola field. Mercury was in the sky below the Moon but it was barely visible in binoculars, coming and going in the thin clouds. It was impossible to see naked eye, nor capture in the photo. However, Regulus is visible between Venus and the Moon. This is a two-exposure blend with a luminosity mask (from Raya Pro Quick Blend panel): a short exposure for the sky and a longer exposure for the ground. Witht the 85mm Rokinon lens and Sony a7III camera.
A 300° panorama of the Milky Way and Mars to the south over Maskinonge Lake at Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. Mars is the bright object at left over Vimy Peak and Sofa Mountain. To the north at far left and far right the sky is already brightening with morning twilight as this was at 3 am. Some green bands of airglow tint the sky. The lights at far right are from the Park Entrance Gate and are far too bright for the purpose. They are out of place in a Dark Sky Preserve. Maskinonge is a sacred site to the Blackfoot First Nations...This is a 10-segment panorama with each segment 30 seconds at f/2 with the Sigma 24mm Art lens and Nikon D750 at ISO 6400. Stitched with Adobe Camera Raw. Taken July 13, 2018 on a perfect night in Waterton.
The waning crescent Moon rising in close conjunction with Aldebaran just to the right, and near the Hyades star cluster, with the Pleiades star cluster above, all embedded in the twilight over a ripening canola field. The Moon occulted Aldebaran from points farther east but by moonrise at my location the two had separated but were still very close. Earthshine lights this dark side of the Moon, despite its low altitude, on this very clear morning. Shot the morning of July 10, 2018 from home in southern Alberta. This is a 2.5-second exposure with the 85mm Rokinon lens at f/2.8 and on the Sony a7III at ISO 400. The ground is a stack of three exposures to smooth noise.
