Mars is the warm-hued dot to the left of the Moon and Spica lies to the right. To accommodate the extreme range of brightnesses present in this scene, he combined two separate images. The frame capturing Mars and Spica was recorded at ISO 1250, while the the one exposed for the Moon was shot at ISO 100. He used a Canon 60Da DSLR camera and a 85mm lens for the shot. (Brian McGaffney)
Jupiter and Saturn will start rising before midnight this month, while Mars and Venus start to spend more time in evening twilight.
What is the Lunar X? Learn more about this lunar phenomenon and when you can see it on the Moon.
Mercury is the planet to watch this month, as it wanes and treks away from the Sun, passing Venus and the Moon.
How to see the zodiacal light, interplanetary dust and debris that lights up when the Sun hits it just right
