Temple of Debod Reflection and Conjunction of Venus and Saturn
November 22, 2013
Photographer: F. J. Pobes; Javi’s Web site
Summary Authors: F. J. Pobes; Jim Foster
The photo above shows both Venus and Saturn aglow above the Temple of Debod in Madrid, Spain. This impressive conjunction was observed on the crystal clear evening of September 18, 2013. Brilliant Venus shines at a magnitude of -4.02 while Saturn (to the upper right of Venus) shimmers at a magnitude of 1.53. Note that the temple and its specular reflection on the still water appear identical. However, a careful look shows that the reflection is slightly darker. The reflection of even very calm, clear water isn’t quite 100 percent. The Temple of Debod was constructed in Egypt some 2,200 years ago. It was given as a gift to the people of Spain by Egypt for Spain’s help in saving the Nubian Temples during the construction of the Aswan Dam.
Photo details: Camera Model: Canon EOS 1100D; Lens: 28-70mm; Focal Length: 28mm; Aperture: f/3.2; Exposure Time: 0.300 s (1/3); ISO equiv: 400; Software: Lightroom 4.2.