The Stag Moon and the WMT

From the photographer: “On the summit of Monte Mufara, among the majestic peaks of the Madonie Mountains, stands the Wide-Fild Mufara Telescope. The WMT is a unique and versatile instrument, suitable for multiple research activities: from the discovery of potentially Earth-threatening asteroids to the monitoring of large and medium-sized space debris, from the detection of the optical counterparts of gravitational waves to the discovery and characterisation of exoplanets using the transit method, from the detection and photometric follow-up of novae events to the study of galactic and extragalactic variable sources.

It is an honour for me to enhance the excellence of astronomical research in Sicily, combining science and natural beauty. That is why I wanted to capture the instant when the full Moon of the Stag rose on the summit of Mount Mufara, not far from the observatory. It was not easy: for over an hour, the peaks were shrouded in cloud. It was only thanks to a pinch of luck and a lot of perseverance that I managed to get this evocative shot. Moments before the moon rose, the clouds parted, letting its light shine through. The result was an almost unreal chromatic spectacle: on the left, the shadow of the mountain and the dome projected into the sky; below, the clouds, moved by the wind, lit up with red-orange and white-blue iridescence. The result is an image suspended between science and dream, the most beautiful expression of Sicilian passion.”

Technical details:
Canon 7d, Sigma150-600mm, 900mm eq, f/6.3,
Landscape: iso 400, 5 sec & iso 200 x 2
Moon: iso 400, 1 sec