AWARDS: ENGLAND / WILTSHIRE / LAKE DISTRICT / WALES / SCOTLAND / COAST OF S.W. ENGLAND / COAST / STORMS / LAKES & MOUNTAINS / WINTER LANDSCAPES / DESERTS / ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY / BRITISH BIRDS 1 / BRITISH BIRDS 2 / BRITISH MAMMALS / BRITISH INSECTS / WORLD BIRDS / WORLD MAMMALS / NATURE
PLANETARY PARADE OVER STONEHENGE
I made a stitched panorama from within the stone circle to capture seven planets in the field of view simultaneously:
Venus: magnitude -4.7 (close to its maximum possible brightness)
Earth
Mars: magnitude -1.3 (one week past opposition when closest to Earth)
Jupiter: magnitude -2.6 (seven weeks past opposition)
Saturn: magnitude 1.1 (viewed from approximately the opposite side of the sun hence faint)
Uranus: magnitude 5.7 (on the limit of naked eye visibility)
Neptune: magnitude 7.8 (five times fainter than the naked eye can see)
It is a pity Mercury was not invited to join the party as that would have made a Full House!
Stitched panorama of 8 frames. Sky: F/2.8, 13 seconds, ISO 4000. Foreground: 2 minutes at F/2.8 and ISO 1000.
Accepted: Cheltenham 2025
