Crescent Moon, Venus and Glitter Paths
September 30, 2010
Photographer: Stefano De Rosa
Summary Author: Stefano De Rosa; Jim Foster
The photo above shows the waxing crescent Moon and dazzling Venus as observed from the shores of the lake of Viverone, Italy about 30 miles (48 km) from Turin. It was taken on September 11, 2010 at 8:39 p.m. -- the Moon was approximately 15 percent illuminated. Note the glitter paths on the lake surface for both the Moon and Venus. Each wavelet portrays a full reflection of the Moon. The Moon's glitter path itself is an aggregate of myriad Moons. Notice also that the glitter paths (reflected colors) are reddened in comparison to the actual colors of the Moon and Venus. This is a result of the reflected light having a longer path length (closer to the horizon) than the non-reflected light. So the shorter wavelength colors (blues, greens and yellows) are scattered from our view.
Photo details: Camera Maker: Canon; Camera Model: Canon EOS 1000D; Focal Length: 163.0mm; Aperture: f/5.6; Exposure Time: 1.600 s; ISO equiv: 800; Exposure Bias: none; Exposure: Manual; Exposure Mode: Manual; White Balance: Auto; Flash Fired: No (Manual); Color Space: sRGB.