Explanation:
Skygazers
around planet Earth enjoyed the close encounter of planets and
Moon in July 15's predawn skies.
And while many saw bright Jupiter next to the slender, waning crescent,
Europeans also had the
opportunity to watch the
ruling gas giant pass
behind the lunar disk, occulted by the Moon as it slid through the
night.
Clouds threaten in this telescopic view from Montecassiano, Italy, but
the frame still captures Jupiter after it emerged from the occultation
along with all four of its large Galilean moons.
The sunlit crescent is overexposed with the Moon's night side faintly
illuminated by Earthshine.
Lined up left to right beyond the dark lunar limb are Callisto,
Ganymede, Jupiter, Io, and Europa.
In fact,
Callisto, Ganymede, and Io are larger than Earth's Moon, while
Europa is only slightly smaller.
