The Moon's Saturn
Just days after sharing
the western evening sky with
Venus in 2007, the Moon moved on to Saturn - actually passing in
front of the ringed planet Saturn when viewed in skies over Europe, northern
Africa, and western Asia.
Because the Moon and
bright planets wander through the sky near the ecliptic plane, such occultation
events are not uncommon, but they are dramatic, especially in
telescopic views.
For example, in this
sharp image Saturn is captured emerging from behind
the Moon, giving the illusion that it lies just beyond the Moon's bright edge.
Of course, the Moon is a mere 400 thousand kilometers away, compared to
Saturn's distance of 1.4 billion kilometers.
Taken with a digital
camera and 20 inch diameter telescope at the Weikersheim
Observatory in southern Germany, the picture is a single exposure
adjusted to reduce the difference in brightness between Saturn and the cratered
lunar surface.
Image Credit & Copyright: Jens
Hackmann