Sky Above Iran National Observatory

In a crystal clear moonlit night of November winter stars rise above Zagros mountains in central Iran. Sirius, the brightest star in the entire night sky, is on the middle, rising above Karkas Mountains. The prominent constellation Orion stands above it. Move the slider on the image to see guide lines and labels. As noted by the photographer “This image is made from 3600-meter high Mount Gargash which has exceptional seeing and atmospheric transparency for astronomical observation. The mountain is selected as the site for Iran National Observatory with a proposed 3-meter telescope to receive its first light here in 2015. The major light dome toward the south is from Isfahan, over 100 km away.” © Babak Tafreshi