A Cosmic Triangle

It was once an astronomical triple play. Setting on the left, correct after sunset come the discontinuance of final month, was once our Moon — showing a shining crescent section. Setting on the just was once Venus, the brightest planet within the evening sky final month — and this month, too. With a minute telescope, that you just could perhaps also expose that Venus’ section was once half of, meaning that handiest half of of the planet, as visible from Earth, was once uncovered to explain sunlight hours and brightly lit. Excessive above and much additional within the gap was once the Pleiades star cluster. Even supposing the Moon and Venus circulation with admire to the background stars, the Pleiades manufacture no longer — because they are background stars. In the starting assign of this month, Venus looked as if it will perhaps circulation just in front of the Pleiades, a uncommon event that occurs handiest once every eight years. The featured image captured this cosmic triangle with a series of exposures taken from the identical digicam over 70 minutes come Avonlea, Saskatchewan, Canada. The positions of the celestial objects was once predicted. The handiest ingredient unpredicted was once the existence of the foreground tree — and the astrophotographer is quiet in doubt what type of tree that is.