Astrophotographer Josh Dury captured a stunning image of the sun, moon, seven planets, and two galaxies in a rare alignment. The photo was taken last weekend during the great planetary parade from the Mendip Hills in Somerset, UK.
The alignment occurred when Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune lined up on the same side of the sun. Dury also photographed the moon and sun from Earth’s vantage point, resulting in a total of 10 celestial bodies captured in one photograph.
Dury used an ultra-wide angle lens to capture overlapping sections of the landscape, which were then combined to create the panoramic view. He employed a HDR blending technique to account for the varying light levels during the 2.5-hour photo shoot.
The alignment was only visible for a short time due to the sun’s position on the horizon and the planets’ visibility amidst its glare. The clear night sky allowed Dury to capture pristine views of sparkling stars and two bright galaxies, including the Andromeda Galaxy and Triangulum Galaxy.
This cosmic event is expected to recur in 2040, but its uniqueness lies in capturing a large number of celestial bodies in one photograph. Dury’s achievement showcases his expertise as an astrophotographer and demonstrates the beauty of rare alignments in our solar system.
Source: https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/once-in-a-lifetime-planetary-parade-photo-captures-10-celestial-bodies-in-a-single-shot