A little rain did not stop an astronomer from taking a picture of two planets in the sky above Rome.
After cutting off a planned livestream of the conjunction on his astronomy broadcast service, the Virtual Telescope Project, Gianluca Masi spotted Venus and Jupiter hiding behind a thin cloud.
Masi told Live Science that he could see three of Jupiter's moons when he spotted the bright planetary couple through a less dense layer of clouds.
He looked at the planets and saw a colorful corona. The light was diffracted by small water droplets. He said that the thin cloud was precious.
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The two planets were 21 minutes apart at the time of the shot, as close together as two-thirds of the moon. He said that he worked at 400 ISO and had an exposure time of 0.8 seconds.
Masi was working from home, in a chimney-dotted view from his balcony on the west side of Rome. He plans to go to a scenic location in June, when five planets will be visible in the sky, to capture the event on a livestream. Assuming the weather improves.
Masi said that he loved these natural events and that he was amazed at how many people love them. I always invite them to go out and see these kind of things personally, but I know that for many people my live feeds are the only chance to see those shows.
The Virtual Telescope Project is about Masi sharing the beauty of the sky with those living on the same planet.
If you are looking for a telescope or binoculars to spot views like this one, check out our guide for the best deals. The best cameras for Astrophotography and the best lens for Astrophotography can help you pick the best gear.
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