The moon has been in the vicinity of these three bright sky objects – the planets Mars and Saturn and the star Antares in the constellation Scorpius – for the past couple of nights. This beautiful photo – a version of star trails, but in this case planet- and moon-trails, too – comes from Robert Rosenberg in Adony, Hungary. It’s from the night of September 8, 2016.
By the way, in this image, the streaks are caused by Earth’s spin on its axis, which causes night sky objects to move across the sky (just as the sun moves during the day).
Now here’s another shot of last night’s moon, planets and star … it shows you more what your eye would have seen if you’d looked up last night.
The moon, Saturn, Mars and Antares on September 8 from Michael Holland Sr. in Lakeland, Florida. Thanks, Michael!
Bottom line: Mars, Saturn, star Antares and the moon on the night of September 8, 2016.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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