Mars, Joshua Tree, and Milky Way, California

Mars, Joshua Tree, and Milky Way

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Mars, Joshua Tree, and Milky Way
Inyo Mountains, Lee Flat, California   –   July 8, 2018
— Ralph Paonessa
Canon EOS 6D   *   Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC   *   ISO 8000   *   25 sec

The Red Planet, Mars, glows brightly in the SE at left. In July, 2018, it was near it's closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years (!) and the brightest it will be until 2035.

A desert Joshua Tree stands silhouetted against the evening sky as the summer Milky Way and bright galaxy center glows.

Summer is also when the brightest part of the Milky Way is visible in the Northern hemisphere, crisscrossed by dark lanes of dust. Can you see the dusty "Prancing Pony?"

Photo ID: 20180708-25