The conjunction of the waxing 4-day-old crescent Moon below the Pleiades, and set in a slightly hazy sky on March 25, 2023. The haze adds the colourfu
The conjunction of the waxing 4-day-old crescent Moon below the Pleiades, and set in a slightly hazy sky on March 25, 2023. The haze adds the colourful "lunar corona" halo around the bright crescent of the Moon from diffraction effects in the high icy clouds. Shot before the sky got dark, the remaining twilight adds the blue to the background sky. Earthshine is visible on the dark side of the Moon. This is a blend of 9 exposures, from 1/160 second to 6 seconds, to retain the bright crescent while recording the faint stars and Earthshine. All at ISO 400 with the Canon R5 and through the SharpStar 76mm EDPH refractor at for a focal length of 340mm. The field of view is similar to 10x binoculars. Exposures were blended not with HDR or luminosity masks but with Blend If settings applied with the Blake Rudis f64 Blend-If extension panel in Photoshop, which makes it easier to apply and adjust the blend points and feathering of the blends. Diffraction spikes added for artistic effect to make the stars "sparkle" using the Astronomy Tools actions. A mild Orton Glow added with Luminar Neo to make the overall scene "pop."
Size: 8192px × 5464px
Photo credit: © Alan Dyer / VWPics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 25, 2023, 76mm, actions, amazing, astro, astronomical, astronomy, astrophotography, atmospheric, binocular, blake, blend, canon, conjunction, corona, cosmos, crescent, diffraction, earthshine, eqm35, evening, extension, f64, field, luminar, m45, march, moon, mount, neo, panel, pleiades, r5, rudis, science, sharpstar, skies, sky, tools, unique, waxing
