Milky Way, Moon, Venus

In this early morning view the rising Milky Way extends above mountain fortress of Alamut in the central Alborz Mountains of Iran. Right above the castle is the Moon next to Venus in a close conjunction. Move the slider on the image to see the star labels and lines. Alamut Castle (2160 m) was built into the rock in the 9th century. The name means Eagle’s Nest. Home of the legendary Assassins featured in the adventure movie Prince of Persia, Alamut was also historically a center for libraries and education. For a time, it was the residence of important 13th century Persian scholar and astronomer Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (or simply known as Tusi).