Explanation:
Only Mars
is missing from this reflective view of the major
rocky bodies of the inner
solar system.
Captured on July 8th, the serene, twilight picture looks out over the
Flat Tops Wilderness area from near Toponas, Colorado, USA and
includes planets Mercury, Venus, Earth,
and Earth's large
natural satellite, the Moon.
The Moon is in a young
crescent
phase about three degrees above
bright planet Venus.
Forest fires contribute to a layer of
smoke in Earth's sky that almost hides
planet Mercury,
still visible very near the horizon.
Just a week earlier
Venus and Mercury were joined by
Saturn, forming a notable grouping in the west also
enjoyed by skygazers
across planet Earth.
