Belt of Venus and Rising Full Moon Over Parana, Brazil

March 17, 2011

BeltofVenusOverBrazil 
Photographer: Claudia Cristina Brositti Terzian
Summary Author: Claudia Cristina Brositti Terzian; Jim Foster

The photo above showing a buff, full Moon rising through the Belt of Venus, over emerald green fields, was taken near Tibagi in the state of Parana, Brazil. The Belt of Venus, also known as the "Girdle of Venus," is the pink-fringed band of the Earth's emerging shadow -- the blue-gray layer just above the horizon. It's tinted pink by the lingering rays of the setting Sun. Of course, you don't need a full Moon in order to see it; it's visible any cloudless evening or morning opposite the Sun. It's most obvious when the Sun is just below the horizon. Note that when the lunar disk lies low in the sky, it appears slightly flattened by refraction of moonlight. Refraction also causes a small change in the Moon's apparent position. Photo taken on July 25, 2010 at 7:03 p.m.

Photo details: Camera Maker: SONY; Camera Model: CYBERSHOT; Focal Length: 22.2mm; Aperture: f/2.3; Exposure Time: 0.013 s (1/80); ISO equiv: 100; Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Matrix; Exposure: program (Auto); White Balance: Auto; Flash Fired: No; Orientation: Normal; Color Space: sRGB.