A photographer captured a beautiful picture of two planets lined up in the sky above Rome – and not a little rain stopped him.
Gianluca Massi spotted Venus and Jupiter hiding behind a thin cloud shortly after sending a live broadcast of a planned conjunction of Sunday (May 1) on the astronomy broadcast service, Virtual Telescope Project.
“Fortunately, my imaging equipment was ready to go on a sturdy tripod, and when all of a sudden I could see the bright planetary couple through a less dense layer of clouds,” Massey told Live Science, adding that he could even see three of Jupiter-Europe’s moons. Ganymede and Callisto.
But the rainy reward came when he looked at the planets. “I’ve noticed a colorful halo around Venus,” he said. It was due to the diffraction of light by individual small water droplets. So that thin cloud was precious.”
Massey estimated that the two planets were about 21 arc minutes apart at the time of the shooting, which is roughly two-thirds of the angular size of the Moon. He said, “I used a Canon 5D mark IV + EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM body, working at 200mm-f/2.8. I worked at 400 ISO and the exposure time was 0.8 seconds.”
Massey was working from home at the time, in a chimney-busting view from his balcony on the west side of Rome. He plans to go to a “scenic location” in June, but when five planets at once will be visible in the sky, to catch the event live. (This is, of course, assuming the weather improves.)
“I love these natural events, they always amaze us,” Massey said. “I am always amazed to see how many people from all over the world like this kind of opinion. And I always invite them to come out and watch this kind of thing in person, but I know that for many people, my live feeds are the only chance to see those cosmic shows.”
Massey added that his mission is to share the beauty of the sky with those who live on the same planet as him. “This is the basic idea of the virtual telescope project.”
If you’re looking for a telescope or binoculars to spot views like these, check out our guide to the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals available today. Our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can also help you choose the best photographic equipment.
Editor’s note: If you take an amazing photo and want to share it with Live Science readers, send your photo(s), comments, name and location to [email protected]
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @hawellspace.