All articles tagged with #zodiacal light
APOD’s September 19, 2026 image captures the zodiacal light—a faint band of interplanetary dust scattering sunlight—seen just before astronomical twilight from the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh, India, with Jupiter near the eastern horizon and Mars near the center beside the open cluster M44; NASA/Juno dust findings suggest Mars could be the dust source behind this glow as meteors streak across the night sky.
Artemis II’s photos taken with a Nikon Z9 during the lunar flyby allowed researchers to measure the Sun’s F-corona and zodiacal light, demonstrating that consumer cameras in space can yield meaningful solar science and supporting future lunar-orbit coronal studies.
Astronauts aboard Artemis II captured a full-disk image of Earth lit by moonlight from the Orion spacecraft, revealing city lights, green auroras, and the zodiacal light, illustrating Earth as a dynamic solar-system body and highlighting how nighttime phenomena are studied from space.
A weekend sky-guide recommends dark, rural skies to spot the zodiacal light in the western sky after sunset (Feb. 13–15), notes that Jupiter is at its best for evening viewing on Feb. 15, and highlights accompanying Moon/Earthshine observations and other winter sky features for enthusiasts.
February’s night-sky guide highlights the Artemis II launch (no earlier than Feb. 8), the return of the Zodiacal Light, prominent winter constellations led by Sirius and Orion, a Moon occulting Regulus, Moon–Mercury and Moon–Venus conjunctions, and Jupiter dominating the sky with Saturn and the outer planets visible with a telescope; plus a February annular solar eclipse visible from Antarctica and DC-area astronomy events.
Astronaut Kimiya Yui captured a stunning timelapse video from the ISS showing zodiacal light, green auroras, and the Pleiades star cluster, highlighting the beauty of Earth's orbit and celestial phenomena.
A stunning astrophotograph taken at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile captures the luminous band of the Milky Way and the faint zodiacal light crossing the night sky, forming a giant 'X' shape, showcasing two distinct celestial phenomena visible in the southern hemisphere.
A stunning photo captures the Milky Way galaxy above the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, where a unique x-shape is formed by the intersection of zodiacal light and the galaxy, highlighting the beauty and scientific interest of the night sky and cosmic dust studies.
Astrophotographer Miguel Claro captured a stunning 360-degree image of the Perseid meteor shower, the Milky Way, and the ghostly glow of zodiacal light from Portugal's Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve. The composite image, made from photographs taken over four consecutive nights, shows over 100 meteors originating from the Perseus constellation. The Milky Way illuminates the sky, while the zodiacal light appears as a belt of wispy light above the Pleiades star cluster and Jupiter.
This week in the night sky, stargazers can observe the waxing crescent Moon and its "Earthshine" on Monday, a crescent Moon near Antares on Wednesday, the First Quarter Moon and a chance to see Mercury on Friday, and the Autumnal Equinox on Saturday. The Equinox marks the beginning of astronomical fall in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere. Additionally, the Equinox is a great time to witness the Zodiacal Light, a cone of faint white light seen in the eastern night sky before dawn.
A stunning panoramic image captured by photographer Miguel Claro showcases the arch of the Milky Way shining brightly above the Lut desert in Iran, just before nautical twilight. The image also features the zodiacal light, Mars, Jupiter, and the Andromeda Galaxy. The photograph highlights the beauty of the night sky and the connection between Earth and the cosmos.
Professional photographer Miguel Claro captures a stunning panoramic image of the Milky Way shining above the Lut Desert in Iran. The photo showcases the arch of the Milky Way, along with the faint path of cosmic dust from the zodiacal light. Mars and Jupiter are also visible near the horizon, while the Andromeda Galaxy can be seen as a faint oblong shape. Claro's work highlights the beauty of the night sky and connects Earth with the wonders of the universe.
Astrophotographer Miguel Claro has created a stunning 360-degree virtual reality experience of the winter Milky Way, zodiacal light, and the gegenschein, with the green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) shining above Alqueva lake in Portugal. The experience can be viewed in 7K resolution on desktop or smartphone with a gyroscope, or with VR glasses for an immersive experience.