Venus, Mars and Pleiades

Brilliant Venus leaves a bright streak as it sets behind a desert hilltop. Above Venus and not nearly as bright, Mars enters the scene. Directly to the right of Mars, the stars of the Pleiades cluster make light blue trails. Look closely and you can count about seven of them -- the Pleiades are also known as "The Seven Sisters."

Date: March 20, 2004
Time: 8:38 to 9:35 p.m. PST
Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
Camera: Olympus OM-1 35mm SLR on fixed tripod
Film: Kodak Ektachrome E200 slide
Focal length: 100 mm
Aperture: f/8
Exposure time: 57 minutes
Scanner: Nikon Coolscan LS-2000