False Dawn, Genuine Mars

Faint zodiacal light (center) competes weakly with artificial light from the horizon in this view looking east from Echo Hill Presbyterian Church in Marion, Iowa around 4:53 AM, Friday, September 30, 2011. Zodiacal light, also known as "false dawn," is the product of sunlight reflected off meteoroid dust particles in the ecliptic plane. At upper right in the image is the bright (1.30 magnitude) planet Mars, located just right and above M44--the Beehive Cluster. At center lower is the "head" of the constellation Leo the Lion. Located about 10 degrees above the horizon at center is the brightest star in Leo--Regulus--shining at a nearly identical magnitude to Mars. This image is a 15-second exposure at f/3.5, 800 ISO and 18mm focal length.