Crescent Moon and Poseidon Temple

Photographer: Chris Kotsiopoulos; Chris’s Web Page
Summary Author: Chris Kotsiopoulos; Jim Foster

This wonderful composition features the waning crescent Moon as a centerpiece for the ancient Poseidon Temple at Sounion, Greece. The handsome temple was built in approximately 440 BC. Note that the Moon appears more gibbous than crescent because time exposure was used to enhance the background stars. Lustrous Saturn reclines atop the Doric marble column to the upper left of the Moon. The cluster of stars just to the upper left of the left-most complete column is the Coma Cluster, in the constellation of Coma Bernices. Photo taken on November 13, 2009.

Photo details: Canon EOS DIGITAL Rebel XTi camera; shutter speed 20 sec x 11 shots; aperture 2.2; ISO 800; lens Canon EF28 mm; f/1.8 USM; focal length 28.0 mm; time of photo 4:12 a.m. - 4:17 a.m (local time).
 
Sounion coordinates: N37.650058, E24.024466