Venus, the Moon, Jupiter and the Pleiades
July 22, 2012
Photographer: Miguel Claro
Summary Author: Miguel Claro; Jim Foster
The photo above shows the sword of Dom Nuno Alvares Pereira appearing to pierce the waning crescent Moon. It was captured in Portel, Portugal a little before dawn on July 15, 2012. Jupiter is to the upper right of the Moon (in conjunction), brilliant Venus is below Pereira's sword and the Pleiades star cluster is at top. Pereira played a critical role in the 1383-1385 conflict that resulted in Portugal's independence from Castile. His sword is turned downward as a sign of peace. See also yesterday's Earth Science Picture of the Day.
Photo details: Camera Maker: Canon; Camera Model: Canon EOS 50D; Exposure Time: 4.000 s; ISO equiv: 640; Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Matrix; Exposure: Manual; Exposure Mode: Manual; White Balance: Manual; Flash Fired: No (enforced); Orientation: Normal; Color Space: Adobe RGB (1998); Software: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows).