Gianluca Masi spotted Venus and Jupiter hiding behind a thin cloud shortly after the scheduled live stream of the session on Sunday (May 1st) on his astronomy broadcast service, the Virtual Telescope Project. “Fortunately, I had the imaging equipment ready to go on a solid tripod when I was suddenly able to spot the bright planetary pair through a less dense layer of clouds,” Masi told Live Science, adding that he could see even three of the Jupiter moons – Europe. , Ganymede and Kallisto. But a rainy bonus came as he looked at the planets. “I noticed a colorful crown around Venus. This was due to the refraction of its light by single small drops of water. So this thin cloud was precious,” he said.

Venus (bottom left) and Jupiter during a close session over Rome on May 1, 2022. (Image credit: Gianluca Masi) Masi calculated that the two planets were about 21 arcs apart at the time of the shot, as close to each other as two-thirds of the moon’s angular size. “I was using a Canon 5D mark IV + EF 70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II USM, working at 200mm-f / 2.8. I worked at 400 ISO and the exposure time was 0.8 seconds,” he said. Masi was working from home at the time, in a view with a dotted chimney from his balcony on the west side of Rome. He plans to go to a “scenic location” in June, however, when five planets will be visible in the sky at the same time, to capture the event in a live stream. (This of course we assume the weather will improve.) “I love these natural phenomena; they always surprise us,” Massey said. “I’m always surprised to see so many people from all over the world love this kind of view. I always invite them to go out and see such things in person, but I know that for many people my live streams are the only chance to see these worldly shows”. Masi added that his mission is to share the beauty of the sky with those who live on the same planet as him. “This is the basic idea of ​​the Virtual Telescope Project.” If you’re looking for a telescope or binoculars to spot faces like this, take a look at our guide to the best binoculars and telescope deals available now. Our best astrophotography cameras and best astrophotography lenses can also help you choose the best imaging equipment. Editor’s Note: If you take a great photo and want to share it with Live Science readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to [email protected] Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace.