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Details:
Two years ago I photographed this configuration of stars, where Procyon and Capella
become parallel to the western horizon and the figure of Castor in Gemini bisects the
line between them. I didn't have a special name for it, but around the same time in their
weekly sky newsletter Sky and Telescope noticed the arc of the bright stars involved
and gave it this name.
In retaking the image this year I noticed that Mars is at virtually the exact same position
in Gemini that it had back in 2021: the midpoint of the arch, despite having made one
complete revolution around the Sun in the meantime. I have reposted the 2021 photo
so you can compare them (photo #1 is 2023, #2 is 2021).
I don't know if light pollution has gotten worse from 2021 to 2023 (the 2023 image
shows more skyglow), it might only be my processing, but in the next 2-3 years the city
is planning on building a hospital, hotel, and high-end car dealerships in the area on
the right hand side of the picture, so a 2025 photo is unlikely to show dark skies in that
direction anymore.
Photo data:
Both photos used the same camera, lens, and exposure.
Panasonic GX8, Lumix 12-35mm @ 12mm, f/2.8, 15 sec, ISO 800.
Dates: Apr 10, 2023 and May 4, 2021.
Photographer's website:
No URL provided.
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