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astronomy observing the Zodiacal Light and

This beautiful phenomenon can be seen only from the skies excellent. Somewhat weaker than the Milky Way, required to observe or photograph conditions really good vision.

The typical pyramidal shape of the zodiacal light.

To give you an idea: If you see the Magellanic Clouds from the southern hemisphere, or very easily the Andromeda galaxy in the north, the sky is good, if clearly see the Milky Way, is very good. If you see the Zodiacal Light, is excellent.

You can see it in worse conditions, but as always near the horizon for observation, can be lost if there is fog or light pollution.

If you want to know about the physics of the zodiacal light, you have this link .

observation conditions:

You have to have several things in mind for the record Zodiacal Light:

sky
1. excellent quality (not seeing , but is a very dark night)
2. that no moon.
3. that the dates on which the Zodiacal Light is well inclined to the horizon.
4. not be in very high latitudes (not far north or south of Ecuador), because the inclination of the horizon is always very low.

With these clarifications, we Parts:

For point 3) the Zodiacal Light is more inclined, and easier to see at such times, always following one to three hours before departure or after the fantastic Sun:

From the northern hemisphere:

the morning, half of August to mid October. Afternoon
, from mid February to mid April.

From the southern hemisphere:

Afternoon half of August to mid October.
the morning, half of February to mid April.

stunning photographs of the Zodiacal Light (left) and the Milky Way from the Observatorio del Teide IAC. This photo is guided, and you can see the Andromeda Galaxy, near the center. Photo Daniel Lopez

The photographic record:

Its size is 35 to 40 degrees high, extended on the ecliptic line. In the base (near the horizon) can reach 15 degrees and it thins upwards, reaching the region about 5 degrees wide.
is no need to use a telephoto camera, alone, on a tripod or flat surface. If you want to see some details here ).

The maximum aperture opening, the sensitivity of the film at least 400 ISO, and at least 1 minute of exposure. Ideally, various tests by changing the settings to see which are the best results.

The gegenschein

A 180 degrees from the Sun, is sometimes a slight luminosity, similar to the zodiacal light source, called Gegenschein (German word for backlight), is an elliptical area of \u200b\u200b10 to 15 degrees , weaker even than the Zodiacal Light.

Gegenschein from Cerro Paranal, Chile. Photo ESO.

is due to the reflection of sunlight from the interplanetary dust. The

Gegenschein is so weak that if it passes in front of the Milky Way, is no longer visible.

The complete structure of the dust around us. A left and right is the Sun (they are 360 \u200b\u200bdegrees), the Zodiacal Light, the luminous path Gegenschein and joining them.

In truly exceptional nights, you can see the Zodiacal Light Gegenschein and are connected by a faint trail of light, because both are really different parts of the same physical phenomenon.