Mars below the Pleiades star cluster and north (right) of the Hyades cluster, all in Taurus, on the evening of March 30, 2019. They are set into the deep blue of the darkening twilight in the western sky. This is a stack of 4 x 60-second exposures for the main sky blended with a similar exposure taken through a Kenko Softon A filter to add the artistic star glows, though high haze this night added some natural glows. All at f/2.8 with the Rokinon 85mm lens and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 200, and on the Fornax Lightrack tracker. The sky gradient is natural from the twilight. Diffraction spikes added with Astronomy Tools actions.
Mars (left) near the globular cluster M22 in Sagittarius, November 8, 2014. This is a stack of 8 x 1.5 and 2 minute exposures, with the Canon 6D and the TMB 92mm refractor at f/4.4. Taken from my winter home near Silver City, New Mexico.
This is red Mars passing below the blue Pleiades star cluster (aka M45 and the Seven Sisters) on the evening of March 3, 2021. Taken on a night with some high cloud and haze adding the natural glows around Mars and the bright stars, accentuating their colours. This is a stack of 10 x 30-second tracked exposures with the Canon 200mm lens at f/2.8 and the Canon 6D MkII at ISO 1600, the Star Adventurer 2i tracker. Taken from home. The frame is cropped in to improve the composition and cut out some gradients.
